A Touch of Saffron
by TripWire- dono
Summary: [COMPLETE] Takumi had to see her again. That adorable smile made him breathless and the way she savoured food stirred his hot Italian blood like melting honey. Kanda Ayame. Just a girl from a normal Japanese high school with dreams unique to his own. He'd never felt so sure in his life... She was definitely the one for him. Takumi/OC.
1. The Girl at the Cafe

**Hello everyone!**

 **I'm doing a little experiment on a with this Food Wars! story because there are basically not enough of them. It's a brilliant manga, especially when concentrating on the cooking battle and pearls of cooking wisdom thrown here and there. Of course the bonus recipes too :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Chapter 1 – The Girl at the Cafe_

* * *

 _'Things are way too quiet without Yukihira. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing'_

One thing for sure was that Takumi Aldini should never have let that red-headed maverick make it as far as the campus gates before making him accept one last _shokugeki_ before the summer holidays began.

Takumi had always trained himself to be a patient person. He'd like to think that. He didn't fuss too much over his culinary exams as long as Yukihira wasn't enrolled in the same classes. He always made time to assist his dear _fratello_ to become a better chef. He listened to girls' confessions until the very end before respectfully declining and wishing them happiness all the same. However, Semester One of Tootsuki had been extremely stressful, even more so that he hadn't been able to snag an opportunity to have a _duello_ with that infuriating Yukihira to win his precious _Mezzaluna_ back, and Mimasaka to regain his and Isami's honour. How was he ever going to prove his superiority as chef when Yukihira and Mimasaka kept ignoring or side-stepping his challenges?

How grating!

It was all tossed into the wind now. The holidays had rolled in and Isami had decided that it was his turn to go back to _Firenze_ to spend the holidays. That just left only him to relax and what not. Perhaps he could start cultivating his own basil, oregano, thyme and sage or something. Most of his classmates had gone back to their home towns too.

That included Yukihira. It was probably an excuse to dodge another challenge from him.

The ingrate must be scared.

Students were allowed to come and go from the Tootsuki premises as they pleased. Many students liked to take the courtesy bus down town to go shopping and eating at the local shopping and restaurant districts. Since most of the kitchens in the schools were closed for a few weeks due to a massive health inspection, which was scheduled every six months, Takumi took the opportunity to get away for a bit and explore what local cuisine was on offer.

Takumi straightened his cravat and patted his skinny jeans of the dust from the road. Tootsuki's campus was pretty deep in the forest, half of it encroached on the mountain. That meant he had to take that courtesy bus to travel down to the metropolitan area. If there was one thing he disliked apart from Yukihira's smug face, it was Japanese transportation.

' _Traffic in Italia doesn't compare to this'_

Traffic in Japan was a complete opposite to the familiar chaos on the roads of _Italia_. It was weird. So much, that even looking at cars in made him yearn for _Italia_. Isami had told him over and over before that he was being ridiculous, but he couldn't help it.

He had a confession this morning from a lovely girl. Unfortunately, she wasn't his type at all. Sure she was beautiful and nice, but he didn't sense any substance from her. How could he? He only ever saw her in his fan club and nowhere near a stove or a vegetable knife despite being in an elite cooking school. The girls somehow managed to join in this internationally famous cooking school and he had yet to see any passion in cooking from his fan club, which was a huge turn off. He would rather they be passionate in their cooking rather in himself and Isami. Perhaps he could retell the tale to Isami once he texted about his safe arrival in _Firenze_.

He had an embarrassing conversation with Isami a long time ago. If he had to guess, it was when puberty for the two _fratelli_ had hit. Which probably made sense why they even had the conversation to begin with. It was about _La ragazza._

Girls.

He didn't remember how the conversation went, but he was sure he was embarrassed enough to delete it from his memory though. Isami would probably remember every single detail down to the last word.

He never gave a thought about having a girlfriend or even dating as soon as he was qualified enough to cook in _Trattoria Aldini_. His world had revolved around making his family's _trattoria_ the best in _Firenze_ and the best in _Italia_ with his brother by his side! Because of that, his mind had always been focused on training to be the number one chef of Tootsuki.

And of course defeating his ultimate rival, Yukihira.

Even as he waited at the bus stop, he could still see his dopey face in his mind.

Soon enough the bus pulled up. Takumi pulled out his pre-paid bus pass and flashed it at the bus driver with a bright smile before sitting in an empty window seat, not too far back and not too close to the front. He stared outside, watching the foliage of the surrounding forest whizz pass, letting his eyelids droop to a relaxed state. It had been a while since he needed some unwinding.

He then focused on his reflection. Girls here found him handsome because he was blonde and blue eyed, the perfect look for a Westerner. Plus, he and his brother were Eurasian born, which according to his classmates was considered to be a good catch for Japanese girls. His brother also had his fair share of girl's squealing after him in Tootsuki ever since they found out his weight drastically dropped during the summer and autumnal seasons. So basically the fan-club was now a combination of his fans and Isami's fans.

He didn't have a massive problem with girls liking his pretty face, it happened everywhere and he was used to it. At times it could be troublesome because it got him unwanted attention, especially in the kitchen, but not always. He remembered there was a kitchen hand who had almost cut her finger off because she was distracted by him whilst he was making _risotto_. Of course his uncle and _Pappa_ couldn't have that in a cut-throat kitchen. So from then on, the only girls who ever gazed at his face were only customers.

Takumi took pride in his looks and couldn't let a handsome face like his go to waste anyway. Italian men made sure to take care of themselves and looked presentable everywhere they went. Some people like himself put in a bit of extra effort to be more stylish. Excellent grooming was a way of showing 'loving oneself', which was important in his country for young men who will one-day settle down. As the old adage went: _'How could you expect others to love you, if you don't love yourself?'_

Speaking of _amore_ …

He had seen plenty of potential couples at Tootsuki. It wasn't hard to miss. Even the dumbest of the dumb would be able to see the chemistry between certain students. Like Tadokoro-san and Kurokiba, Sakaki-san and Ibusaki-san and of course, the pest Yukihira and queen of bitches, Nakiri Erina. The sexual tension that electrified their public verbal spats made his face boil in embarrassment and want to gag.

What about himself, did he even want _amore_? Not at this stage. It was best to have one goal at a time. His priority was _Trattoria Aldini_.

Takumi jolted in his seat, coming to realise that the forest had disappeared and they were now in the metropolitan area. Funny, it looked pretty sparse for a Japanese town. He had always thought they were perpetually crowded. He hopped off the bus and noted where the bus stop was so that he could return to Tootsuki at the end of the day.

He felt his face split into a grin. He was excited and he wished Isami was here. It had been a while since he'd last visited Karakura town, the town that Tootsuki was a part of. The other time he'd been out exploring was Central Tokyo and Akihabara with his brother, and then the Promotions Exam in Hokkaidou. Here he was now, a fully-fledged second year. This metro-area was like a town, not like the bustling city of Tokyo that most Italians knew about. In front of him was a quaint, boutique store selling fashionable clothing for women. Using the reflection, he checked that his clothes weren't messed up and trekked his way through the thin crowd to inspect all the shops.

Takumi browsed through pet stores, book stores with adjoining stationery stores, the supermarket and more clothes stores. He also had nice long looks at the local bakery, ice cream parlour, and restaurants. The place was nice. It wasn't too crowded like he had expected. The scenery was nice too, there was a small park in the centre and a fountain. He looked around some more and spotted a café district. It instantly reminded him of _Italia_ so he had to go check it out.

Café, café, café, café, café and a café with rabbits?

He had heard about 'rabbit café's' in Japan but never saw one. He also heard that there were other cafés with small pets like cats and dogs and for some strange reason… owls.

' _I don't think I'm ready to try a rabbit café…'_

Feeling for some coffee, Takumi settled for a particular café that reminded him of home. It was an Italian styled café which made him smile.

' _Cioccolatini... good name for a café'_ he thought.

The bell rang when he pushed open the door and was welcomed by an outburst of _'Buon pomeriggio!'_ in broken _lingua italiana_ from the wait staff which caught him by surprise. One step into the café and he almost had a heart attack. He hoped that this wasn't a regular occurrence for cafés and restaurants in Japan. This never happened in _Italia._

A smiling woman approached him and gestured to a seat that was further inside. She was dressed in a casual uniform which really suited the _café_. She handed him a menu and said that she would be with him in a moment. Once he sat down, he took off his fedora and hung it on the back of his seat. With a quick browse of the menu, he concluded that most of the items were typical _Italiano_ café dishes, beverages and desserts. Some of them had a Japanese flare to it like a matcha _tiramisu_.

"What would you like?" said the waitress when she came back.

"An _espresso_ please" said Takumi.

"Hm? Are you sure? It's very strong..."

Goodness! She probably thought he was too young to handle an _espresso._ He and Isami could drink _espressos_ fine since they had _il sangue Italiano_ running through their veins.

"Don't worry _signorina_ , I've had _espressos_ before" he said politely.

The young woman blushed and spluttered her apology, a small smile blooming on her lips. She took his menu with shaky hands and darted back to the kitchens. Takumi sighed and enjoyed the café interiors.

It had a nice brick facade on the walls, a mellow rouge that reminded him of the red brick houses of _Italia_. The café embraced earthen colours and greenery such as the fake vines crawling down the walls which gave it a nice terrace feel. The tables and chairs were similar to garden furniture but not quite so, instead adopting a more minimalist style giving the impression of a larger space in the café. There were a few _Renaissance_ styled paintings on the wall capturing the many places of his birth country and also many of which he and Isami had visited before. Takumi flitted his ice blue eyes to the lighting above which he was most impressed with. He wondered where did they get their hands on industrial styled vintage lighting, because to him, it completed the whole look.

 _Cioccolatini_ looked like it could house up to twenty-five to perhaps twenty-seven people, but there were only a handful of patrons around. Two businessman, a family with two kids and right in the corner was a girl with her books and pencil case out.

' _Oh yeah... I forgot there was another school around here'_

Takumi leaned a bit more to the left to get a better look at her. She looked like she was around his age. She had long, sleek black hair, the colour of midnight, tied in a half pony tail. Her fringe brushed her face on the left side, not long enough to require a bobby pin. Her skin looked pale but bright and suggesting by all those school books that covered her table, she was probably really academic, spending her time indoors studying rather than shopping after school.

Takumi inspected closer, not letting any details slip from him. She had a brilliant shade of verdant in her eyes, the colour of lush green pastures found in the countryside of _Italia_. She was instantly reminding him of his birth country. Next he looked at her nose and then his eyes dipped to her lips. She had a perfectly shaped cupids bow and thin lips which he knew girls would die for. Her mouth then scrunched into a small pout, looking like she was encountering a hard homework problem. She sat hunched over her school books, so Takumi couldn't see a school crest, which he assumed was on the front of her school blazer. She wore a grey uniform which was very different to the Tootsuki's uniform. This included a female-cut grey blazer with red trimmings, a white blouse, a red bow at the front and a grey pleated skirt. Her legs were slim and crossed at the ankles, tucked underneath her chair. She wore long black socks which reached just below her knee and standard brown school loafers.

Takumi realised he must have been staring too hard because a cough and the aromatic scent of fresh espresso startled him. A fright today!

 _"Grazie"_ said Takumi, managing to make his voice remain calm, despite a blush threatening to invade his face.

He hoped he wasn't being too obvious. Worst case scenario, he was and the wait staff were snickering at him. He had never been his badly flustered before except for the other times when Isami picked at his fault in mannerisms or when Yukihira ignored his declarations of rivalry.

He sipped his _espresso_. It was good.

He chanced another glance at the pretty girl sitting in the corner. She had a victorious smile on her face. It looked like she managed to solve her homework problem and Takumi couldn't help but smile as she smiled. She stretched her arms high above her head and then reached over and plucked a slice of _pane di casa_ with her long slender fingers. She took her time to coat it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar from a small dish. He watched intrigued as she placed it on her tongue to make sure the oil didn't drip before biting the bread. Takumi continued to watch over the rim of his small espresso cup.

He gulped.

Her face melted into pure bliss. She chewed slowly as if savouring the taste with her eyes closed, tantalised by the balsamic vinegar. Her thick lashes fanned delicately on her face as she gave a little hum in delight. She kept the bitten slice of bread close to her smooth lips as she swallowed and he watched her throat bob up and down above the red bow around her collar. Her tongue poked out and licked a bit of the bread crumbs around her lips before it retreated back in. The whole process repeated and Takumi couldn't tear his eyes away.

He had never seen anyone eat bread so _sensually_...

Takumi found the willpower to quickly avert his eyes just in case the wait staff was watching him. He swallowed again to make the dryness in his mouth go away. He had to admit, he had never been entranced at looking at another girl apart from the girls in his class who were doing some serious cooking, keeping himself in mind that he was entranced at the actual cooking than the actual girls.

She was beautiful.

She was just eating bread.

What was wrong with him?

The buzz in his pocket alerted him to a text message. _Merda!_ He had forgotten all about Isami! He put down his _espresso_ and opened the message.

 _'Sorry Fratello!_

 _I fell asleep as soon as I arrived home.  
I was so jet lagged and forgot to text you.  
Talk to you when I'm not dead on my feet._

 _Until next time!_

 _-Isami'_

Of course Isami would forget, it was perfectly understandable. Takumi texted a quick 'forgiveness reply' before placing his phone back into his pocket. The soft jingle of the bell made him look up on reflex, seeing if another customer had entered but, realising it was actually a customer leaving.

It was the girl.

The café suddenly felt less chipper. Takumi resumed enjoying his coffee, thinking about what he was going to do when he got back to Tootsuki. Probably check out the school library to see if there was anything else he could learn from the books. Summer holidays in _Italia_ was so much fun when they were kids. His uncle and _Pappa's_ idea of a holiday was going out drinking with friends and family all day long while Takumi and Isami's idea was to run around and steal fruits from the fruit stalls like a bunch of rascals. Pleasant memories.

Takumi finished his _espresso_ and grabbed his fedora, then went over to the counter to pay. It was a male wait staff this time and he blushed as soon as he looked upon Takumi's face.

 _'That's new'_

Whilst he was processing his receipt, Takumi quickly looked at where the girl was sitting earlier as if his eyes were only drawn to that area. Suddenly something caught his eye. Without a thought he went over and picked it up. It was a high school text book titled _'Japanese Edition: Oxford Dictionary for Physics'_ It was a pretty thick dictionary. The girl must have overlooked it when she was packing up her plethora of school books. Still, how could someone miss a dictionary as chunky as that?

Takumi flicked it open, looking at the title page.

' _In the event that this book is lost,  
please return it to Kanda Ayame  
from Karakura High School  
or my parents will kill me'_

So her name was Ayame. Takumi smiled, finally knowing the girl's name. She had a good sense of humour too, he noted happily.

He seemed to be forgetting something important...

" _Merda!_ " Takumi dashed to the door and flung it open, throwing his head from left to right looking for any signs of the girl from Karakura high school. But to his disappointment she wasn't anywhere to be seen. He sighed at his stupidity for not running after her sooner to return her book. How ungentlemanly.

"Umm... Excuse me sir?" The waiter was holding out his receipt and change with a perplexed look on his face.

"Oh sorry about that" said Takumi sheepishly. He received his change and thanked the waiter before exiting _Cioccolatini_ and into the afternoon sun. He placed his fedora back on and checked the time on his phone.

' _It's a quarter to five, it's too late. School must be over'_.

 _Uno momento per favore_. It was summer holidays now. Why would she still be uniform? Unless not every school operated on the same calendar as Tootsuki. Tootsuki was an elite privatised academy which probably explained why its schedules were different to the normal schools. He never went to a really good school in _Firenze_. He and Isami were more interested in building culinary knowledge than academic knowledge. He had to admit, being in a la-di-da school like Tootsuki made him feel _very_ different.

Takumi decided he would try and visit Karakura High school tomorrow so that he could return the dictionary. If she wasn't there, he could still just drop it off at the school and they would contact her or something. He felt a worrying sensation in his mind. He hoped he would see her again though. Her smile brought a sense of calmness he rarely had when around Yukihira, the _duelli_ and it made his heart do a small flutter like when his customers enjoy his food. The way she enjoyed her _antipasto_ sent an electrifying tingle in him. He wondered what embarrassing words would Isami say about this?

The blonde teen wondered through the shopping district until it was time to head back to the campus. On his way back, he couldn't help but wonder more about the girl he was borderline ogling at in the café. He felt yet again another blush creep up his cheeks

' _No more! Dio mio, I need to focus on beating Yukihira when he comes back. I'm going to need to prepare a dish so good he would be begging to have more of Trattoria Aldini's food!'_

Takumi fixed his expression into a fierce battle face, much to the bus commuter's confusion. As soon as he arrived on campus he already missed the little local town he visited. It was greatly contrasted to the opulent wealth the Tootsuki buildings exuded. He casually walked around, absorbing air and listened to the trickling of the fountain.

"Ah Aldini-san! What are you doing out here? Not going back home for summer holidays?"

Takumi awoke from his entranced state and glanced around. He came face to face with the rosette-haired girl that was Nakiri Erina's aide, Arato Hisako.

"Ah Arato-san. No, not for me. Isami hasn't been back to _Italia_ since high school, so it's better if he went this time. I just got back from the local town" he said politely.

"Oh did you now? I haven't been there in a long time with Erina-sama" she said smiling. "Did you buy a book?" She pointed to the heavy textbook in his hand.

"Um, no. Someone left it in a café and forgot to pack it up" he said. "Do you know where Karakura High school is? It says it inside the book. So I thought I'd return it tomorrow"

"Yeah you better, who knows if they have an end of year exam coming up... Karakura High school is in the Gakuenchou ward. You'll have to take another bus from Minamikawase ward to get to the school.

"Ah I see. _Grazie,_ Arato-san"

"My pleasure" she smiled.

Both bade farewell before Takumi entered the main building again. Unlike the Polar Star dormitory, his uncle and _Pappa_ paid good money for him and Isami to reside within the main building residential area for last semester and this semester. There were other students there too, but for them, they spent loose change on it. So Takumi and Isami made sure not to do anything reckless during their stay.

Takumi unlocked the door and entered the spacious room. It was a small communal living area with a small kitchenette tucked to the side. There was small, but fully equipped kitchenette as well. On the right side were the doors to his bedroom and on the left was Isami's. Both bedrooms were furnished nicely with a study desk for each person, two small bookshelves and two night stands each. There was an adjoining bathroom, complete with a shower cubicle, sink, toilet and a bathtub. Isami's room was fairly bare while Takumi's was more cluttered. A bit messy, but clean. He changed his clothes into a more comfortable attire and plopped onto his bed.

' _It's so quiet'_

He already missed Isami.

He brushed his golden blonde hair from his eyes and rolled over onto his stomach. He opened the physics dictionary out just to see some of the words. As expected all the physics terminology was gibberish to him. However, there were some words and sentences in neat handwriting on the margins with arrows, underlining and circling which explained what the complex terms meant. There were a few sticky tabs too. Her handwriting was neat.

Whoever Kanda Ayame was, she was pretty serious with the science, which was totally different from culinary subjects. Then again, Nakiri Alice used the best of gastro-science or whatever in her cooking to impress people. Takumi opened up his phone and reconnected with the wifi so that he could research tomorrow's bus time-table that would take him to Karakura High school.

Excitement bubbled inside for the next day.

* * *

 _ **The Next Day**_

' _So this is Karakura High school'_.

Takumi didn't experience any difficulties finding his way here. He made sure he took the early bus from Tootsuki to Minamikawase ward and then the bus there to Gakuenchou ward. If he had one complaint, it would be that it was quite a distance from Tootsuki. The last thing he wanted was to arrive when half a day had already gone by, otherwise he would be stuck with the guilt of not being able to give Kanda Ayame's physics dictionary on time.

Takumi made sure he dressed low key, but still good. He wore a simple dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a dark-green casual waistcoat over it. He opted instead of jeans but for comfortable brown pants and a pair of his favourite converse. The summer sun was beating down from the high heavens and the loud incessant chirp of the Japanese cicadas had over-ridden the cheerful chatter of the Karakura students with ease as they walked together in packs, towards the school. He leaned against the brick fence with the dictionary tucked under his arm and one foot lightly bent, resting on it.

He checked his watch and noted that it was past nine o'clock. A sharp _'kyaa!'_ broke him out of his musings and he pushed himself off the brick fence beside the school gate and looked towards the source. A trio of high school girls were giggling and squealing together a short distance from him, unavoidable charmed by his appearance. Now that he noticed, other students were looking his way.

' _They are probably wondering why I'm loitering around here'_

Maybe standing outside was drawing too much attention. However, it wasn't a random choice. He had been actively scanning the area from both sides of the school and across the street for any sign of the _bella_ he saw in the café. He had been waiting for fifteen or so minutes itching to see if she would reveal herself from the sea of students. Worry etched into his mind again. Perhaps he was too early and that Kanda Ayame hadn't arrived to school yet, or maybe she'd already arrived earlier than he.

He flicked his blue eyes to his watch again. It was a quarter past nine now. The students were thinning out and Takumi felt his spirit sink. It looked like the last of the students finally made it past the gate. By the manner in which the students were huffing and puffing from their sprint told him that classes was officially about to start and that it was getting late.

He wondered what he should do.

Takumi shifted the dictionary in his arm and decided to walk straight into the premises. Already the blonde Italian felt like he was doing something majorly wrong. He ignored the climbing worry in his mind. Even here he felt so out of place. He prayed to the lord that he didn't get mistaken for a trespasser.

' _Dio mio! You're just returning a damn dictionary to a student here'_ Takumi mentally slapped himself.

Takumi found the school administration office easily. He walked right up to the counter, but to his confusion there wasn't anyone there. He looked around and rang the bell provided but still no office lady or guy appear to ask what he needed.

"Hello?" Takumi tried. Still nothing.

Even school staff had to be early at school, right? Where did they all go? He sighed and took off his fedora. He sat in one of the chairs in the waiting area, crossing his leg over his knee. Once and twice, he saw a few students running in from the entrance, looking so relieved and exhausted like they were lucky to have escaped a teacher on duty for tardy students.

Takumi chuckled. Japanese schools were so strict on attendance. Not like in Italian schools.

Takumi decided to pass the time before the school receptionist decided to show up and do her job by flicking through the school brochure spread out on the small wooden coffee table. It was pretty interesting. The school promoted academic excellence, safe environment for all students, plenty of sport and club activities to build rapport, lots of fun festivals and events and both sport and academic competitions. At a macrostructure level, it was pretty similar to Tootsuki, except Tootsuki was _anal_. His ears pricked up at the sound of a shrill laughter. He glanced up and caught the eyes of a pair of high school girls carrying a stack of books.

One exuberantly waved at him, a blush adorning her face. Takumi offered a polite wave and an obligatory smile. No one could say he had lost his manners. Italian men were brought up to be charming and courteous towards everyone. They both turned away and squealed at one another.

 _"Oh wow, he's so handsome!"_

 _"I've never seen him here before. I wonder what he's doing here"_

 _"Do you think he's got a girlfriend?"_

Takumi sighed at their fangirling. He had heard them all before. It never ceased to amaze him how many stock phrases those girls can come up with when gushing all over him. He finished browsing through the school brochure and threw it back onto the table and fell back on the seat, both his arms stretch out over the backrest of the two chairs on neighbouring sides. Impatience started to creep into his blood stream

' _Where the_ diablo _is that receptionist?'_

It was approaching half an hour at glacial pace and the dictionary was still in his hand. He got up without thinking and decided he will find her himself and walked with absolute confidence towards one of the class building entrances connected to the reception waiting room. He walked past rows and rows of lockers until he came to an area that looked like classrooms. As he walked, he was amazed at how big the indoor windows were. The first room didn't look anything like Tootsuki. His classrooms were either kitchens or set up to look like university lecture halls. He guessed that this was what a real Japanese classroom looked like. He could see every single student in there with ease.

That meant they had a full view of him too.

Sure enough students broke away from their conversations when they noticed there was blond boy with blue eyes, dressed in stylish casual clothes looking in through the indoor window. Mortification seeped into his soul when he realised…

He absolutely didn't have a clue to where he was going.

' _Stupido! I don't even know where her classroom is or what year she's in'_ Takumi felt himself getting flustered. He had always been too hot-headed resulting in rushed decisions and this wasn't the best of times to be making those decisions either without thinking through.

"Hi, can I help you?" a male student stood by the door, offering him a helpful smile.

"Uh-Umm yeah. I'm looking for Kanda Ayame-san. I'm returning a textbook she left behind at a café. Do you happen to know what classroom she's in?" asked Takumi after getting over his flustered state.

"Oh, sorry buddy. Can't help you there. What kind of textbook are you returning though? That could give you a clue" said the male student.

"It's a physics dictionary" he replied.

The male student looked thoughtful for a moment. "Kiba! You take physics right? Do you know anyone named Kanda Ayame who's missing a physics dictionary?" he yelled back into the classroom.

"Nope!" the boy named Kiba yelled back.

"Yeah sorry, still can't help you. I think you should try all the classrooms until you find her. Or even easier, just give it to Kiba and he will hand it to the science staffroom and they will return it to her" he said.

"Ah that's ok, I'm sure I'll find her soon. _Grazie_ " Takumi flashed him a grateful smile before continuing on his way to search in all the classrooms.

He left behind a gaping student, astounded by the sudden drop of an Italian word at the end of the conversation.

Sixteen classrooms, two buildings and four dating proposals later, he made it to the last building. Maintaining his courteous persona was so tiring! He barely made it by the skin of his teeth away from gaggles of girls that started following him, but he wondered how long until his luck ran out.

' _Is this even worth all the trouble?'_

Takumi berated himself for entertaining such a thought. Of course this would be worth it. He wanted to see the _bella_ again and return what rightfully belonged to hers. He reached the first classroom and peeked in through the window from the side. It was a strategy he utilised after encountering the first swarm of girls to avoid drawing attention towards himself.

 _Finalemente!_

There she was, sitting in the middle talking to a girl next to her. Her hair this time was tied up into a full pony tail, revealing the creamy skin of her neck and small tufts of black hair at the nape. She was wearing the same uniform as yesterday except for the blazer. Instead, she wore a knitted beige vest which looked a tad too frumpy for her over her white blouse. Takumi relaxed and walked past the window, keeping his gazed locked on her as he reached the door. He could see her eyes from the side, it sparkled magnificently from the sunshine through the class window. He cleared his throat.

"Exc—"

"Hey man, you're in the way"

Takumi snapped his posture back and shot an alarmed look beside him to see another male student pushing through. He was the same height and had a serious frown on his face. He glared at Takumi.

"What the… Why aren't you in uniform?" he asked after giving Takumi a dubious once-over.

"I don't go to this school, I just wanted to return this book to Kanda Ayame-san" Takumi kept his attitude in check.

"Kanda-san! Someone's here for you!" the boy yelled across the classroom, his voice shattering all the conversation around him.

"Eh?"

Takumi fixed his gaze upon Kanda Ayame as she turned around in her seat. He had always remarked upon her eyes in his mind, but he never actually saw them from a full-front-on profile. Their eyes met, hers trained solely on his blue ones.

His throat suddenly felt tight.

She said a quick _'Be right back'_ to her friend before walking up to stand in front of him.

"Yes?"

Takumi cleared his throat again, finding her curious stare a smidge unnerving.

"I-uh. You left this yesterday… at the café… I found it" he shoved the physics textbook into her hand and stood off a bit to the side, one hand in his pocket and the other raking through his blonde hair. He curiously inspected her from the corner of his eye.

Her green eyes widened to take up more of her face as she looked down shocked in her hands. Her mouth went from a small 'o' shape to a large one before holding the book up in the air like a mother holding up her baby to the sun.

" _Aya!_ I thought I'd lost it forever. I called the café this morning and they said they hadn't seen it. Thank goodness you've found it! I was looking everywhere for it in my book bag, but then it wasn't there. You see, I've got this test coming up and—"

Takumi drank in every word that left her lips, focusing more on her excited and melodic tone. He peeped back briefly when she abruptly abandoned her sentence.

"Sorry, I was rambling too much. I'm sure you didn't want to hear every sliver of my life-story" she chuckled shyly, and tried to tuck her fringe behind her ear which only flopped back over her eyebrows.

"That's ok. Just be careful next time" Takumi smiled.

"Might I know the name of my saviour of physics exam?" she inquired.

"Takumi Aldini" he said smoothly.

"Aldini…" she placed a slender finger to her lips and her vibrant green eyes glazed over in thought. Takumi tilted his head to the side confused as to what his last name might mean to her. How could he forget, his surname was _Italian_ for Christ's sake.

"Ah! Are you by any chance related to _Giovanni Aldini_?" she said. Her eyes sparkled, clearly excited for an answer.

"N-no… I don't know who that is" he honestly didn't.

Her eyes continued to sparkle as she rattled off this physicist's credentials to him.

" _Giovanni Aldini_ was an Italian physicist who was one of those who pioneered in galvanism, anatomy and its medical applications, the construction and illumination of lighthouses and experiments for preserving human life and object from fire. He was born in Bologna, the year 1762. One of his most famous public experiments involved using electricity to stimulate the dead limbs of a convicted criminal and—"

"Ayame-chan, I don't think he wants to take a gander at your nerdy side" snickered the girl she was talking to earlier.

"Sorry, I get worked up easily over science… stuff" she sighed, her words petering out towards the end.

Takumi chuckled, earning him a suspicious look from her.

"That's okay. Aldini is a common last name in my home country, _Italia_. But who knows if my family _may_ be related to him" he said. He felt it was a lot easier to talk to her now that she looked like the one who was embarrassed and not him to his relief.

"Oh gosh! I still need to thank you properly. I don't have a reward for you or anything…"

"No, no! It's perfectly fine. I didn't come all the way here to get something in return" He quickly waved his hands between them, in hopes to dismiss for her to dismiss her notion to give him something material as her thanks.

"Let's see…" But it was too late as Ayame-san trotted over to her pencil case where the smirking girl was.

Takumi panicked, what kind of a man was he to accept something from her for only just returning her book?!

"Here, I want you to have this" Ayame-san presented to him a keychain.

It looked like a very complicated keychain. She smiled brightly at him, pride shining through her grin.

"I made this in one of my home economics class. It's the only one of its design. You see, I'm very interested in mechanical things. So I made this" she said, looking adoringly at her keychain.

Upon close inspection, it seemed to be made of a series of tiny little mechanical gears of all different sizes. The teeth for each gear slotted in perfectly with each other, taking on a simple steampunk design. It seemed to be soldered together in perfect formation on a strip of metal, about the size of USB or a memory stick. She dangled it in front of his eyes, where it hung from a tan leather strap with a red cord attached to it.

"If that's a unique keychain you made, then surely-!"

"I don't want to hear another word" she took his hand in her palms. Her hand was soft and smooth to the touch, contrasting with the many callouses from his rigorous training as a chef.

"Take it or I will start losing my things all over the place" she gave him a cheeky wink and he felt this words caught up in his throat.

" _Grazie_ " was the only thing he could muster.

"Also, at the back it includes—"

"Hurry up Ayame-san, before the teacher comes back" grumbled the husky voice of another male student near the window who sat slumped over his desk, his head lolling on his folded arms. He looked way too big for his desk and it was by some miracle that he could curve his back that far to allow his head to touch it. Takumi frowned at the rude interruption and clucked his tongue.

"Oh, I'm keeping you here for too long. I've better let you go now" a light pink dusted her cheeks and Takumi found it endearing.

Takumi thanked her for the keychain and placed it carefully in his pocket.

"It's fine. I'm on summer break at the moment, so I haven't got anything major on right now" said Takumi.

"Really? You're on holidays a week earlier than us?" said Ayame.

"Sì, I go to Tootsuki Culinary Academy" Takumi patted himself on the chest.

"You mean _that_ Tootsuki over there" the emerald eye _bella_ jabbed her thumb behind her towards the window which had an absolute view of the mountains and the buildings of Tootsuki in the distant.

" _Sì_. That's the one"

Takumi could hear the sounds of click-clacking on the linoleum flooring in distant briskly getting closer. It must be the teacher returning to class. She thanked him again and he thanked her in return once more for the keychain. He departed the classroom, eventually the school without a hitch and finally boarded onto the bus with her final words ringing in his ears:

' _I hope to see you around again, Aldini-san'_

Takumi straightened his waistcoat, hoping it wasn't too wrinkled. He hoped so too.

* * *

Blue.

They were electrifyingly blue.

Ayame Kanda sighed when the teacher pushed her half-moon spectacles up and pulled out last week's extension-maths exam papers out. Her forehead was riddled with stern creases and her lips was an intimidating straight line. This was going to be a long 'review- session'.

"Kanda Ayame"

"Yes!"

Ayame responded immediately and walked to the front to receive her test paper. She had studied for the past four weeks, down to the last hour to make sure that she aced this exam. She had forgone hanging out with friends, limited her phone use (because her friends kept bragging via text about what an awesome time they were having at _karaoke_ ) and stopped keeping up with her favourite TV shows. She nervously took the test paper from the teacher's hands. Oshiro-sensei wasn't pursing her lips.

' _Phew, that's a good sign! That means I passed'_

She looked down at the percentage mark on top, preparing herself.

92%

Fuck yeah.

She pole-vaulted over that pass-fail line like a _boss_.

She released a breath she didn't know she was holding and flopped over the back of her seat, feeling all her muscles, especially her brain dissolve into mush. She also felt her brain doing a crash dump on all the mathematical data she had crammed in, in preparation for this god forsaken test. Of course she still retained only the most important and relevant maths concept, equations and procedures so that she could still apply them to her upcoming physics test.

She blushed.

That guy who found her physics dictionary was a _life saver_. She couldn't think straight at all yesterday and this morning because she was busy fretting left, right and centre for her lost dictionary. She probably sounded like a blubbering mess on the phone with the café owner. The upcoming physics test was going to be the one to make or break her academic track record for the semester. She had been the top of her middle school in the science and maths subjects for three years in a row and she damned well wanted to continue that feat all the way to the end of high school.

It was very important to her.

Ayame sighed, feeling a little bit guilty for not properly rewarding Takumi Aldini. He was from Tootsuki meaning he came from just outside of Karakura town. It must have been a pretty bothersome trip to come _this_ early in the day on a _summer holiday_.

' _At least I gave him something of mine to show my gratitude'_ she thought optimistically.

"You're not going up to bargain for more marks?" said a voice she knew all too well beside her.

It was Chizuru-chan, her friend. Ayame liked how this school had a system where when receiving the test papers back, students were encouraged to check through their paper to make sure their points were added up correctly and had received proper points for each step in demonstrating the correct working-out to reach their final answer. That way, they could come to the teacher to discuss their test results and see they could scrounge extra marks in specific areas. Of course on the flip-side, the teacher could refuse to give extra-points and explain _exactly_ why the student couldn't deserve extra points as benevolently or harshly as they liked. Or in everybody's worst nightmare, deduct precious points.

Ayame smirked and flashed Chizuru-chan her test paper.

"You bitch"

Ayame gave a hearty laugh.

"And here I thought you were daydreaming about that hot stallion you were chatting with at the door. But I see you are just enjoying being the cream of the crop in maths" Chizuru-chan wiggled her eyebrows at Ayame and sighed as if it was a let-down.

"He isn't a stallion and you shouldn't be calling people derogatory names" Ayame chided her.

"Being called a stallion is not derogatory! It's a compliment of the highest calibre for men" Chizuru-chan countered back.

Ayame sighed and continued staring out the window. Her friend was right in one thing. Aldini-san was very good looking. She was surprised with his last name, being the same as the famous Italian physicist. She must have looked silly, thinking he was related to him in some way. He looked like a hāfu. Perhaps possibly an Italian and Japanese mix. His blonde hair was glossy and sleeked back, except for his fringe that parted to both sides with a long lock of golden hair which rested in the middle. His eyes were the clearest blue she had ever seen. It was the first time she had ever seen someone with blue eyes up close. It was almost eerie. He had the type of eyes she wanted to see again, just to make sure they were actually that brilliant. He was a bit taller than her, probably about seven or so centimetres. He had the defined jawline, high cheekbones from his Western side and a straight pointed nose.

His clothing style was not-bad in her opinion. Most of the boys in her class dressed flamboyantly in their outing or casual clothes which were born from the typical outlandish Japanese fashion, but not him. He wore clean-cut, simple but modern-trendsetting clothes. She couldn't put her finger on it. She might have seen him before, like a passer-by or something.

' _He found my textbook duh. He must've been at that café at the same time I was. Obviously I must have seen him from my periphery and that allowed my mind to encode it into my short-term memory. Since my brain decided that it wasn't important information to remember, it didn't bother encoding it into my long term memory. So it transferred into my unconscious memory until facial recognition is activated and dug him out of my subconscious memory when I saw him again… But I was still delayed in recalling…'_

"Err… Ayame-chan, are you techno-babbling in your brain again?"

"Hmm?" Ayame looked up startled.

Chizuru-chan shook her head and rolled her eyes. Ayame pulled the corners of her mouth back displaying her famous 'turtle face' signifying annoyance. People always assumed that whenever a person was drifting off into space, ignoring the world around them, they were emptying their minds and letting it fly to whatever. However, that was not the case for her. Her mind was continually chatting away inside her head, recalling and encoding new scientific principles she learnt from class or from her books. Or sometimes as in this case, explaining to herself in great unnecessary details for why she would find his face familiar. Her mind was constantly active and alive. There was not a moment where her brain rested and thought of mundane drivel like the hottest band out there or which celebrity had the most Instagram followers.

She had dreams of algebraic equations doing the samba for goodness sake.

Chizuru-chan knew her inside and out when it came to those things and sometimes teased and poked at her a bit in good jest. Her techno-babble used to grate on everyone's nerves back in middle school. All she wanted to do was share what she'd read and the interesting things she'd learnt and because of that she was shunned. Ayame eventually had to force herself to redirect all that inwards to avoid social isolation. Everyone knew their social life was defined at middle school age. But when she met Chizuru-chan and the others in Karakura high school they weren't bothered by it to her astonishment and then, she felt her old self starting to seep out. But three years of programming that conditioned behaviour in middle school was tricky to break.

"Geez, we're not dumb shits you know? We can handle anything you throw at us. Come on, give Kuchiyose-kun and I your best shot" Chizuru-chan smiled wickedly and slapped the boy behind them on the arm.

He gave her a death glare before turning his attention to Ayame.

"You know the principles of thermodynamics you were talking about on Tuesday? I fantasized about avocados while you were talking" he drawled in a monotonous voice before returning to counting checking his points.

"He's just kidding! He only pretends not to understand so that he could blend in with society" Chizuru-chan threw her a 'V' sign and stuck her tongue out.

"Haha, it's not that. I'm thinking about whether I'll see Aldini-san again. He goes to that elite school Tootsuki. I bet they get pretty busy, even in the holidays anyway" said Ayame.

"Well, Tootsuki is a pretty hectic walk from here. I don't even know why you can be arsed to travel that far just to visit some café, especially in this stinking heat" Chizuru-chan asked nonchalantly.

"See, we finish school at four o'clock which is when the sun had already travelled far enough to the west to allow the heat to dissipate and the glare to disappear. That way we can walk at a comfortable pace without needing to hop near the shadows to keep cool and not have the sun in our eyes. Therefore, it's a great time for me to take a stroll to the café district and it would be a waste if I didn't. You, Chizuru-chan only interpret that the _whole day_ is hot because the sun is hot around ten o'clock, the hottest at noon and still fairly hot around one o'clock which is when your mind is the busiest. Also that Italian café is a great place to study, not like the others" Ayame finished with barely a pause in between.

"Hmm, fair point. But if you do see him again, try not to scare him away with your techno-babble. Guys don't fancy that schtick" Said Chizuru-chan.

"You're wrong. Only dumb good-for-nothing guys hate that" Kuchiyose-kun said out of nowhere.

He straightened his back to his full height which always had both Ayame and Chizuru-chan in awe at his freakishly tall build. He pointed to Ayame's test paper in front of her with a single slender finger, signalling that he wanted to compare maths working-out and answers with hers. She smiled and handed her test paper to her friend Kuchiyose-kun.

"Uhuh, I didn't speak a word to him and I miss him already. He must make amazing food. _Kami-sama_ , I love a man who can cook" Chizuru-chan stretched over her desk and allowed a dreamy look to melt on her face.

"Really?" Ayame quirked her eyebrows. "But you can't even-"

"It's the idea of a man doing something domestic! It's hot!" she cut Ayame off.

"You better hope so, because _Kami-sama_ knows you don't have any basic skills for human survival" Kuchiyose-kun drawled, once again hunching his back, and without breaking his eye contact from his and Ayame's test papers.

Ayame laughed again.

* * *

 **And there we have it, a small (but bigger on the inside) glimpse into the mind of the girl who had caught Takumi's interest :) I miss high school from time to time, especially when I think about how much easier it was compared to uni life.**

 **I hope Ayame, Chizuru and Kuchiyose have also piqued your curiosity!**

 **Shoot me a review, let me know what you guys think, I'd love to hear from you.** **Until we meet again, which will be soon. Cross my heart.**

 **Signing off**

 **-Tripwire-dono**


	2. Together at Cafe Cioccolatini

_Chapter 2 – Together at Cafe Cioccolatini_

* * *

Summer holiday wasn't about throwing all the class notes away, booking trips to go home or much-needed holidays, organising end of semester parties and beach days or even just plain relaxing. _No._ If a student of Tootsuki thought they were done with all those soul-sucking training camps, washed their hands of cooking assessments and critical taste tasting and _duelli_ , they were utterly wrong.

Utterly, utterly wrong.

It was unfortunate that this was far from over for the unlucky students at risk of failing the next semester, and so were forced by their conscience to stay back at Tootsuki and sacrifice their holidays.

For them, summer holidays meant they were damn well expected to roll their sleeves all the way up to their armpits because crunch time was about to begin. One would be a fool not to realise it was _the_ opportunity to gain as much skill and experience as possible and find every which way to make their culinary skill outshine the next person before the new semester started. Fix all those minute mistakes, deep-fry that 'E' into an 'A', experiment and invent new dishes to tow themselves over the pass-fail line. That way a Tootsuki student would be worthy for whatever acid-spewing death trap awaiting them in the next semester. Takumi Aldini, the Italian chef extraordinaire of Tootsuki and _Trattoria Aldini_ really pitied most of the unlucky _bastardi_ who had to stay back at Tootsuki with its ironclad gold standards. They were the ones who had failure breathing down their necks, ready to be tossed out of the prestigious academy should they botch up their first cooking task of the next semester.

Takumi Aldini wasn't one of them, but then again, he was no fool either.

The blue eyed Italian carted his trolley behind him as he strolled across the grounds of the campus.

' _Heh, looks like everyone is pulling out their portable stoves after all'_

Squatting students littered the grounds as far as the eye could see. The health inspection was done on time, but the next issue on the agenda was causing the most headache. Sitting on the ground outside with a portable stove, a chopping board, a small rubbish bag and a basket of ingredients wasn't the ideal way to cook in most people's opinions. This unusual display only seen on television cooking programs was thanks to the delayed maintenance on the school kitchens. Everyone wallowed in their despair once they received notice that a gas line issue was discovered, meaning all the gas to the kitchens had to be shut off for a period of time before it could be fixed. That left students to run amuck, stranded with no means of cooking. Takumi could roll his eyes at their ridiculous behaviour.

 _Dio mio!_ There were other ways to cook without the kitchen stove. Nobody died from using charcoal or camp-fires to cook their meals, they themselves were testament to that as their ancient ancestors survived long enough to produce _them_ and their ridiculous sense of principles. But of course brats born with a silver spoon in their mouths wouldn't appreciate ancient cooking skills, let alone functional ones. He remembered Yukihira was always hovering over a metal bucket with holes cut out the side, filled with hot coal, concocting whatever disgusting hell-spawn crossed his fancy and then went around harassing people with it.

Thankfully, Takumi had a semi-sane friend by the name of Tadokoro Megumi who was kind enough to convince the dorm mother of Polar Star dormitory to allow him to use their Polar Star kitchen in the meantime. It just so happened that their gas wasn't connect to the mainline, but had an independent one which saved them a whole lot of ordeal.

Takumi resumed chopping and changing different _Aldini_ recipes on the top of this head. He decided his latest collection of recipes would be perfect to test and see if it had the deliciousness to _colpo_ Yukihira into next year.

' _Just you wait! Rival of mine…'_

Takumi finally made it onto the property of Polar Star. The first time he had been here was for an after party with Isami, hosted in honour of completing the Autumn Elections. Isshiki Satoshi wasn't kidding the first time when he said he had to walk through a small forest to make it to the big house. Luckily there was a well-traveled path to save him the agony. He still struggled to haul his trolley full of ingredients up the stairs but he made it.

 _Knock, Knock._

The sound of muffled shuffling feet reached his ears.

"Hello?" the familiar head of Megumi-san popped out.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late. I had to send a text to Isami before I left" he bowed to her to assert his apology.

"No, it's perfectly fine. I wasn't worried at all. How is Isami-kun?" She asked. Megumi-san insisted on helping him pull his trolley to the kitchens, much to Takumi's refusal. Her generosity was enough that he was allowed to use it in the first place. She was so kind, bless her heart.

"Fine. He's been busy helping in the kitchens with _Pappa_. My uncle caught a cold and will be out of action for a while. So it's just the two of them" Takumi replied.

"Oh no. I'm sure your brother and father can still maintain the pace of the restaurant" Megumi-san continued to help him after he relented to load all the ingredients onto the counter top. "My, you brought a lot of things today. You have a few recipes to try out?"

"Of course! I'm not going to let my guard down just because Yukihira isn't here" Takumi rolled up his sleeves and helped himself with gusto to prepare all the pots, pans and kitchen utensils he will need.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Megumi-san.

"I'd asked for you to taste test if you're not busy". Takumi inspected the pots and pans, making sure he didn't get one that was faulty in some way. He wasn't intentionally being offensive to the residents of Polar Star, but safety in the kitchen was a must.

"Absolutely!"

Megumi-san looked super-excited, but there was a mix of sadness behind her eyes. He guessed the reason why she was still on campus was that she wasn't doing too well in her subjects. He didn't want to ask to save her dignity. It was too bad because she was the most hard-working person he knew. He had known many who would've given up a long time ago, but not her. She was still here and kicking all because of her resilience and her talent. Talent that everyone saw in Block B of the Autumn elections when she gutted and filleted that hideous and infamous monkfish to perfection. She had the potential to be a shining star in _duelli_ if her results against Kurokiba were anything to go by.

"What are you making first?" asked Megumi-san after trying to guess from the ingredients on the table.

" _Panzanella_ with prawns _,_ then chicken _arrabbiata_ , butter and sage _gnudi_ and lastly, Sicilian chickpea stew with couscous" he said.

"Oh wow! I can't wait to try"

Now that he thought about it, she had never tried his food before. She was always going on and on about Yukihira's food as she had tasted it many times, so that meant that she would be the perfect gauge for him to see if his food could beat his.

 _'Grande!'_

Takumi took out his folded white & orange chef's uniform and asked her permission to use the bathrooms to get change. After that, he made quick work on preparing the vegetables and soared through the kitchen.

* * *

" _Buon appetito!"_

Megumi-san's eyes glittered at the rainbow hues the _panzanello_ exhibited. It was an interesting salad which Takumi explained was one of the pride and joys of his home city _Firenze_. Every chef in _Firenze_ must know this starter dish. However, _Trattoria Aldini_ had created their own twist on this well-known Italian bread salad by adding succulent and sweet prawns to it. It was the first dish he made as soon as he learnt how to use a knife at the age of five. Megumi-san gave a quick _itadakimasu_ before digging in.

"Mmm! The prawns are so lovely and sweet and the tangy heat from the pickled chilies really adds a good kick to it, it just makes you want to eat more and more!" Megumi-san gobbled up the rest of the salad.

"So… what do you think? Enough to beat Yukihira?!" Takumi slammed his hands on the kitchen counter leaned forward, itching for her verdict.

"Umm… this is only a starter dish but it leaves a distinct impression on the palate. Possibly?" said Megumi-san.

Takumi clenched his fist and faced the stove, fire burning in his eyes " _Merda!_ Again!"

" _Waaah_ … It looks delicious, Aldini-kun!" said Megumi-san from her seat.

The whole kitchen was immersed in the fragrant aroma of cinnamon, smoked paprika and cumin. Takumi presented to Megumi-san a plate of steaming, fluffy couscous and spooned for her a ladle-ful of the famous _Trattoria Aldini_ Sicilian chickpea stew on top. He could see her mouth water from the sight alone. The stew took on a vibrant yellowy-orange thanks to the sweet pumpkin he roasted and the spices. The stew glistened under the kitchen lights, smothering the couscous and soaking it with its flavour.

* * *

" _Buon appetito!"_

He watched as Megumi-san blew gently on a spoonful of the couscous and the stew. She placed the spoon in her mouth and he watched as her face broke out into a warm smile. After she swallowed she let out a sigh that reminded him of his dear brother whenever he was drinking _cioccolata calda_.

"That was delicious! The roasted pumpkin was so sweet and I can taste the cinnamon and paprika enhancing the natural glutamate of the tomatoes. I could really enjoy this in any season, despite it being a stew. The chickpeas add a really good texture to it and are cooked perfectly. They are a great source of protein in this dish for people who have worked hard on the farms. The olives added a nice touch of acidity too which balances out the whole dish. Your couscous was also cooked to perfection. Did you add butter to it?" asked Megumi-san after her soulful critic.

"Sí, it makes the couscous richer and more flavoursome" he smiled. Then his expression turned maniacal "It's good enough to beat him right? RIGHT?!" He leaned closer to make sure there would be only truth in her eyes.

Megumi-san stilled for a minute. "I'm not really sure… I mean Souma-kun's food is so good and yours is marvelous too. I would say equal?"

Takumi slumped over the kitchen counter and groaned, his head weighed heavily in his hands.

"It's not good enough… _VAFFANCULO_ YUKIHIRA!" he wailed.

* * *

" _Buon appetito!"_

The chicken _arrabiatta_ had better be the clincher for Yukihira's downfall. He served Megumi-san's first. He made sure the chicken was moist and tender to leave a nice silky texture in the mouth. It was covered in an angry, rich, red coloured sauce that was the tell-tale sign of a good _sugo all'arrabbiata_. He dished out roasted whole cherry tomatoes along with it and he sprinkled freshly chopped parsley and a handful of arugula for the final garnish with a flourish, confident that it will be the one.

Megumi-san looked intimidated by the redness, clearly already making assumptions about its spiciness. She sliced it carefully, pleased that her fork stabbed the chicken flesh with little resistance. She placed it in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully before puffing out steam from her mouth.

"Wow! That was delicious! The chicken was perfectly seasoned and really tender, the heat just takes your breath away" Megumi-san continued eating it with a gusto, easily enjoying the finest of Italian foods.

"Well?"

"You already had a spicy starter just before so… to be honest, I can still taste the heat from that one. But it's still great!" Megumi-san slotted another compliment hurriedly.

"Alright. Last one, and I promise you, this will be THE ONE!" Takumi renewed his vigour and made the last marathon run for the final dish of the day.

* * *

" _Buon appetito!"_

"It looks like _gnocci_ , but it's not right?" Megumi-san prodded the little round white hand-rolled balls with fascination. She stared amazed at the elegant presentation. Earlier all the other dishes showcased the vibrant colours of Italian ingredients and flavours, but now this dish showed off the simplicity of stripped-back Italian cooking.

"You're not entirely wrong though. It's butter and sage _gnudi_. It's a type of gnocci but it's made from ricotta cheese and a bit of flour" Takumi said proudly from the other side of the counter. "This is the _Aldini_ style butter and sage _gnudi_ "

"Well, you can't go wrong with butter and sage, that's for sure" Megumi-san gave him an encouraging smile. She blew the first Italian styled pasta dumpling until it was cool enough for her tongue.

"Eh? The texture is so… _light_. Not only that, it's creamy and fluffy. Fuaahhh…" Megumi-san raised a hand to her cheek, her face the painted picture of pleasure and contentment as she indulged in the beauty that was _gnudi_.

' _Grande! This must be the winner of today'_ Takumi did a massive fist pump from behind the counter top.

"The butter and sage creates the perfect harmony of flavours which suits the complex texture of the _gnudi"_ she continued. "It's a marriage of flavours"

"Glad to hear it" Takumi beamed, puffing his chest out.

"I really think we have a winner over here" Megumi-san gave him a peace sign.

"Ha! I'll teach that dog-faced Yukihira. I'll show him a _duello_ he will never forget" he declared loud and clear. His mind was working overtime. This had certainly been a productive day and he was so glad he asked Megumi-san to lend her kitchen and borrow her time. He felt his blood boiling to the point of no return, excitement cascading through every nerve in his body and the prospect of defeating his arch-rival. He could almost froth at the mouth. He could taste the victory and it was _delizioso_.

"You get so… excited…haha…"

"Ah!...Thanks for all your help, Megumi-san. Please feel free to keep as much as the food I made for yourself. That's the least I can do for your kind spirit" he said, suddenly remembering that he was a guest and that it wouldn't surely do to let his overly-dramatic side to take over his mind in front of his host.

"Really? I can? I'm honoured. Thanks! And I'm glad to be of service anytime" she smiled gently.

Both Takumi and Megumi-san worked together to clean up the kitchen. Takumi made sure that he handled all the kitchen utensils and pans he used, and wiped down the kitchen benches, sink and counter top while Megumi cleaned the dishes and cutlery since she already sprang on them. They drifted into a tranquil conversation about just general everyday life. What made them laugh and what made them tick that had nothing to do with Tootsuki. Just plain unabashed conversation about each other. While Megumi-san regaled about her joyous times in her home port town in the Tōhoku region and her family's _Shōkeien_ _Ryokan_ , Takumi recounted his childhood life with Isami and their culinary journey in _Firenze_ and _Trattoria Aldini_

It was almost evening and Takumi set the last of the knives to dry on a tea towel and took off the double breasted studded front of his uniform.

How odd, the top button on the left side wasn't coming off as it should. Takumi screwed his brows in confusion. He never had trouble with his uniform before. So he tugged a little bit more but it still wasn't coming out. He gritted his teeth and tugged just a little bit harder in frustration.

" _Merda!"_

"Hmm?" Megumi-san was just about finished drying when Takumi almost stumbled trying to chase after the dratted button that came loose, rolling on the floor just near Megumi-san's feet.

"I'll get that" she said.

" _Grazie"_ Takumi stared at the button she deposited in his hand forlornly. His _mama_ had hand sewed the buttons on his uniform. Not only was three quarters of his dishes today sub-par to Yukihira, but also his _mamma's_ hard work was ruined thanks to his impatience. He sighed.

"I've got a sewing kit you could borrow if you'd like. I could get it" said Megumi-san as she placed her wet dish towel over the oven handle to dry.

"Would you?" Takumi looked up in surprise.

Megumi-san nodded and jogged upstairs to retrieve it. Takumi sat on one of the kitchen stools and placed the button onto the counter. Luckily _mama_ had taught both himself and Isami how to sew. It was just something all Italian mothers taught their children regardless if they were sons or daughters. It definitely came in handy for those times in his younger years where he accidentally tore his uniforms when working in the family _trattoria_ kitchens.

 _Bzzzzt!_

His phone buzzed from the trolley. He went to retrieve it, glad that it was another text from Isami.

* * *

' _Ciao!_

 _Sucks for you that Tootsuki's closed all  
its kitchen. What will you do now?  
Pappa and I have just closed the trattoria  
for the night. Uncle is still trying to get  
over his cold. But with the way he  
keeps trying to drink, I don't think he  
will get better anytime soon.  
I hope everything is fine with you._  
 _Anything else interesting down your end?_

- _Isami_

* * *

Takumi chuckled. That was so typical his uncle. Anything else interesting, _eh?_

' _I wonder if I should tell him…'_

Takumi tapped his phone against his chin. The clinking of his new keychain swung too and fro, brushing slightly against his wrist. When he got back from Karakura high school a two days ago, he tied the keychain to his phone since it made sense to put it there. Ever since then, every time he looked at the keychain he was instantly reminded about the _bella_ he saw at the café and eventually spoke to. Her green eyes resurfaced in his mind.

And of course, her… interesting… eating habit catapulted to the forefront of his vision. Before he knew it, he was no longer tapping his phone against his chin.

Instead he was resting Kanda Ayame's keychain against his lips. He felt his face flush immediately when he realised what he had done.

"I found it!" came Megumi-san's voice coming down the stairs.

"Ah!" Takumi dropped his phone on the metal countertop with a deafening clatter. He quickly picked it up and ran his fingers across every surface, in case he damaged his phone or keychain, or both.

Megumi-san was already by his side and placed the small sewing kit next to him.

"Oh, where did you buy that keychain? It looks interesting" Megumi-san said eyeing the keychain on his phone with fascination.

"U-u-umm… uh-uh" he wanted to smack himself stupid for getting a brain fart for a simple question. "Nowhere…" Oh yes that was an incredibly intelligent reply.

"What?"

"No! I mean I got it from… a-a friend…" he tried to look everywhere else away from Megumi-san's face.

"Right… she's important to you isn't she?"

"We only just met, so I definitely wouldn't say— _APETTA! APETTA!_ How in the _Diavolo_ did you know it was a _she?!_ " Takumi jumped up from his seat a mile high. His face was full blown radiating heat and his heart was hammering in his chest at that ridiculously prophetic assumption. This girl here was the one who always got overtaken by nerves and anxiety and now she had just inflicted the very same thing onto him.

"Just the way you were caressing that keychain just now and that obvious expression on your face. I could tell. Girls' sixth sense you know" Megumi-san giggled behind her hand. He was so glad she wasn't making a big deal over this like cooing and gushing to further embarrass him. Then again, it wasn't in her nature anyway.

Takumi stared at his hands as if they sprouted fur. His mouth gaped open and close like a fresh fish in the markets until he decided it was best to shut his mouth if he didn't have anything coherent to say. Takumi Aldini had just downgraded from doing-before-thinking into doing-without-thinking. Had Kanda Ayame really permeated his thoughts to the point where he didn't realise it until it was too late? It wasn't like it was unpleasant. The thought of her made his blood stir and it brought a ticklish sensation in his gut. The way she smiled, talked, ate, it made him feel… like he wanted to see more.

And that made him anxious. This was the first time he felt anything like this aside from cooking.

"It's ok, I won't tell anyone" Megumi-san smiled again and patted him on the arm. He felt a huge load was slid off his shoulders, but the embarrassment still reigned supreme. Then he felt guilty.

Guilty that he didn't tell his brother about this first, even though it was an accident that Tadokoro MegumiTadokoro Megumi found out before he got the chance to tell him.

He stared at the keychain and the delicate mechanical gears that made up the design. He never saw it until now, but it looked a bit too chunky for his phone. He would need a more suitable place to attach it. He sighed, retrieving the needle and thread from the box whilst Megumi-san tried to trim the area that frayed causing the button to fall out in the first place (again not taking no for an answer when he assured her that she didn't have to).

He had an idea.

Takumi unhooked the keychain from the phone. At the back there was a butterfly pin which he had never thought of using. He guessed that was what Kanda Ayame wanted to tell him before they were rudely interrupted. He initially thought it was odd that she added this little feature to it. He tugged and tugged, this time being gentle and slow. It was a very tight pin and given that Kanda Ayame was into the mechanical things, she would have chosen the good kind of butterfly pins that were secure and steady. He took his uniform back from Megumi-san and thanked her for her troubles to which she replied that it wasn't a problem at all. She continued to talk about her family and how much she missed them as he listened intently while sewing his button back on.

Once he finished sewing the button in place, he took the unclasped keychain in his hands, deciding he would leave the leather strap part on his phone as 'half a keychain' and pierced the fabric on the double breasted studded front of the chef's uniform with the pin of the keychain. Finally he fastened it in place with the butterfly clasp.

Only the keychain-turned-pin was back to front.

"Oh? That's a clever idea. So that you can have it on you while you are cooking just like a good luck charm!" Megumi-san beamed at him.

"I guess…"

" _Ano_ … You have it backwards"

He pinned it back-to-front for a specific reason. On the outside, the onlooker would just see an odd looking metal thing which was the butterfly clasp on the outside of his chef uniform. On the inside was the actual keychain-turned-pin. His opponents wouldn't know what it was and only he would.

It would be his secret.

That _bella_ was clever to make her keychain so versatile.

"Well, I'll be taking my leave now. Thanks again for letting me borrow your needle and thread too. My _mamma_ had sewed my buttons on long ago. You have no idea how much it means to me" Takumi gave her a grateful smile.

"Trust me, I do. Come back again soon!"

Takumi packed up his trolley and folded his chef's uniform into his trolley, leaving him only in his plain black t-shirt that served as his undershirt and his chef pants. Takumi managed to carefully drag the trolley down the wooden steps out front before Megumi-san could get a chance to help him.

"I hope you bring her around some day, Aldini-san" Said Megumi-san, her hands clasped behind her back, rolling on the balls of her feet.

The Italian student blushed and dipped his golden brows into a frown. "We've only just met…" he muttered lowly, pulling on the collar of his shirt.

They bade each other goodbye and he made his way down the footpath. Before he forgot, he pulled out his phone and resumed thinking about what he was going to say to Isami as he pushed his trolley along the beaten track, leaving Polar Star property.

* * *

' _Ciao Isami,_

 _Sorry to hear about what happened to uncle.  
In regards to anything interesting?  
I met this girl the other day…_

* * *

 _ **Karakura High School**_

Ayame stared at Kuchiyose-kun. Ever since they encountered the handsome, blonde half Italian the other day, he was unusually silent. He was staring out the window a lot more than usual in the direction of Tootsuki academy. He was _always_ staring out at Tootsuki academy. His chin rested in his hand and his hazel-brown eyes were half lidded. Although Kuchiyose-kun was usually not very talkative, his _behaviour_ was a bit worrisome. He responded less to conversation if he ever did and he now ate so slowly chewing on average twenty-one times before swallowing. He now walked ahead of her and Chizuru-chan when going to class and no longer side by side. If he bumped into anyone, he didn't apologise or even noticed for that matter. He was still meticulous in taking class notes, but it seemed like he was on autopilot, scribbling things down without actually paying attention to what he was writing.

Something was up.

She sighed. They were on lunch break now and she already finished hers. Ayame released the hair tie from her hair and let it sway against her back. That felt so much better. She didn't want her hair falling out prematurely or an irritated scalp.

"Kuchiyose-kun, what grade do you think we'll get on our physics exam?" asked Ayame.

"Dunno"

She felt the life energy leave her.

"Yoho! What's up my homies?" Chizuru-chan strutted into the class.

"Did you get the melon pan?" Ayame cheered up immediately in seeing her friend, eyes searching for the elusive school canteen snack. She was still peckish.

"Here, you glutton. Do you know how many guys I had to flash at to give me way to the beginning of the canteen line?" huffed Chizuru-chan, handing Ayame the tasty treat.

"You didn't…" she scowled at her whilst, tearing the packet open.

"Course not. No one here can handle these babies" she arched her back and rubbed her hands over her breasts up and down. "Damn, still no reaction from him? It's been like what, two days already?" Chizuru-chan scowled at the Kuchiyose-kun.

He still stared out the window, not paying the slightest attention to his friends. Ayame shook her head, munching on her melon- _pan_.

"He'll tell us what's bothering him when he's ready" said Ayame.

"Anyways, had any luck in trying to scope out _Ferrari_?" asked Chizuru-chan turning her attention away and devouring her super-spicy _yakisoba-pan_.

"Seriously what is up with all these nicknames? First it was Stallion and then _Valentino,_ Golden Chef and last… really… _gelato_?" Ayame licked her fingers one by one, making sure she got the _exact_ amount of sugar the nutrition label promised.

"Because I wanted to lick him?"

"Chizuru-chan!" Ayame's face turned bright red.

"Joking! Joking!" Chizuru-chan cackled behind her hands. "Still no reaction from him?" She asked, glancing at Kuchiyose-kun.

"He just switched hands" said Ayame after calming down.

Kuchiyose-kun had indeed switched from leaning his chin on his right hand to his left hand, but his eyes remained glued out the window.

"I chose _'Ferrari'_ this afternoon because he looks like the type who will definitely drive one, one day" she continued.

Ayame laughed loudly at Chizuru-chan vain attempt to make a connection with Takumi Aldini-san's Italian heritage with the infamous Italian sports car. She soon settled herself and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes.

"Well, have you?" Chizuru pressed further.

"No, I haven't see him yet..." she sounded more dejected than she meant to.

That Italian place in the café district had fantastic Italian pastries. She had been going there every day after school for the past two weeks trying to see what other sweet treats she should try. So far, she had the _canoli_ , _tiramisu_ , and the _pana cotta_. Other times she wanted a savoury snack like her all-time favourite Italian bread with a side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a slice of _frittata_ or even rosemary and cheese _focaccia_. So far, four and a half out of five for her books!

But now the new reason for the established daily visits was to have another chance encounter with Takumi Aldini-san. So far she had no such luck to her disappointment. It had been only two days so realistically she couldn't expect him to pop up again so soon. He sounded like he could be a really interesting person to get to know. His arctic blue eyes held some keen knowledge that no other boy his age held. Since he was studying under a prestigious culinary academy, he was a lot closer to the working force than any other high school student, unless they had part time jobs. But those students at Tootsuki were taught _professional skills_ between the ages of fifteen to eighteen years and were guaranteed careers as soon as graduation. Whereas, high school students were destined to endure another four or five years of university to be considered ready to join the professional work force and by that time they were in their early twenties.

In the eyes of the _Kamodo-no-kami_ or the Japanese kitchen deities, he was pretty much set for life.

Oh the knowledge he could share with her!

"So umm… Chizuru-chan, do you want to go to that Italian café with me today?" asked Ayame as she packed her _bentou_ box and took out her school books. She calculated that they had about four minutes and thirty-six seconds until the bell rang for end of lunch.

"No can do. I have detention today" she sighed dramatically.

"Again…?" Ayame rapped her nails on Chizuru-chan's neighbouring desk, giving her, her most disapproving look.

"You make it sound like I land myself in it on purpose" she said taking out her school books too.

"Don't you? With the rate you're going… Anyway, just be nice to the teacher" Ayame leaned back over her desk, giving Kuchiyose-kun another look just be sure he was aware with everything happening around him. He was busying himself with his pencil case. At least he wasn't fixating anymore.

" _Always"_ Chizuru-chan winked. "I have a feeling you'll have better luck meeting _him_ in that favourite café of yours today"

Ayame looked out the window in the direction of Tootsuki just like Kuchiyose-kun had done.

"I don't know what made you say that, but I do hope so"

* * *

The afternoon temperature had dropped to a comfortable twenty-one degrees Celsius and Takumi couldn't find a better time to revisit the shopping district area of Karakura town.

Takumi took some time to get his head around the municipality system of Japan to make map-reading easier for himself. First there was 'prefecture' which took up regions of Japan such as Hokkaido. Then there were big cities like Tokyo which was its own prefecture in some way, but was officially labelled as a 'metropolis'. But there were other prefectures surrounding it such as Chiba, Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Saitama Prefecture. Further in the Tokyo metropolis were numerous towns and cities such as Karakura town and Naruki City located in the Western Tokyo district. Within Karakura town were 'wards' which he likened to suburbs in the Western countries. One such he was currently visiting now was Karakura honchou a popular shopping and eating area which was north of Minamikawase, another ward where he caught the bus to get to. Instead of visiting Minimikawase ward, he took a direct bus from Tootsuki to Karakura honchou.

It was around peak hour in Karakura town and it made him feel almost at home. This was more like it. The chaotic pace of traffic brought a sense of excitement in him but not as much as he would have hoped because it wasn't exactly the same as the Italian roads.

He no longer relied on his map to explore Karakura honchou. The Italian student had been dropping in and out of other cafés tucked in straight lines in the same café street he visited since the beginning of summer holidays. Pleasure filled Takumi as he remembered each new café he tried out in the past three days. They were certainly unique and gave him a sense of adventure that only the Western-emulated Japanese eateries could offer.

He had decided to try all the cafes at least once and see which one had the best food and coffee. So far, a handful of them were French-styled which were pretty good and there were lots of _caffè italiani_ , but so far none had _espresso_ that could compare to _Cioccolatini_. There were a few more to go. The only cafés he would never step foot in were the controversial maid cafés and that popular cat café. The last time Isami dragged him to a maid café in Akihabara, he was mortified.

Takumi decided to dress in black skinny jeans, a simple white short-sleeved dress shirt and a burgundy coloured waistcoat. He had a pair of sunglasses sitting on top of his blonde hair instead of his usual fedora. The sun relentless rays had disappeared, leaving behind softer colours for the eyes.

He strolled down the street and his eyes landed on _Cioccolatini_. He deserved some good espresso this afternoon. He pushed open the door and _'buon pomeriggio!'_ rang out just like it did the first time he was there. He responded with a _'buon pomeriggioanche a te'_ with the same enthusiasm which got the waitresses blushing. A red-headed waitress approached him and gestured towards an empty seat, but something caught his eye.

He looked over the waitress's shoulders spotting the vibrant green eyes of a face he had longed to see.

 _'Kanda Ayame!'_

She saw him too and smiled brightly and waved excitedly in his direction, signalling him to come over and sit with her. He politely apologised to the waitress, noting the slight disappointment before sauntering towards the _bella_ while she set aside her books.

"Fancy meeting you here, properly this time. I knew it was going to be you as soon as I heard the Italian" she said. Her mirth was almost tangible.

"Nice to see you again Kanda-san, I trust you've been well" Takumi took his sunglasses off his head and folded it, tucking one of the handles into the front of his dress shirt. He took a seat directly opposite her, facing the earthy coloured brick facade.

"Just call me Ayame! Yeah, thanks to you I think I'll past my physic's test. Do you want to order something with me?" asked Ayame.

"Ah" Takumi waved the waitress over and asked for an espresso.

"Of course, sir. Would you like a refill on your _cioccolata calda_ , dear" said the waitress turning to Ayame Kanda.

"No thanks, but could I order a raspberry _semifreddo_ please?"

"Sure" The waitress removed Ayame-san's empty plate with leftover olive oil and balsamic vinegar and went back into the kitchens, leaving the two teenagers in peace. The relaxing and soft cafe music wafted through the air, too softly for Takumi to discern the Italian lyrics.

"Do you often study in the cafe?" Takumi curiously asked, reading the titles of the pile of books plunked on the seat next to her.

"Yeah, I find it relaxing. Like you know, snacking and studying at the same time" she shrugged her shoulders. "So Tootsuki huh? How did you manage to get into that place?" Ayame-san laced her fingers under her chin and rested her elbows on the table. A soft smile graced her pink lips and her eyes sparkled under the lighting of the cafe.

She looked as pretty as when he first saw her and her skin was as pale and smooth looking as he remembered. Maybe she looked even prettier today because her glossy long hair wasn't tied up and laid loose against her back and shoulders like a small waterfall.

"It was _pappa_ and my uncle's doing actually. My twin brother and I have been working in our family _trattoria_ in the city _Firenze_ back in _Italia_ since I could remember. They wanted the both of us to enroll in Tootsuki to further sharpen our skills as chefs so that we could make our _Trattoria_ the best in _Italia_ " Takumi felt his pride swelling in his chest as her smile widened.

He didn't feel the churning in his stomach just like the first time he spoke to her. Takumi felt unusually calm sitting in front of her. He had been so nervous the first time he met her and the more he thought about it the more anxious he got. But now that he was in her presence in a nice cafe with food and drinks at their finger tips.

"Wow! So you've been working in the kitchen even before you started high school. You must be a very talented chef"

"Of course! My brother Isami and I are set to inherit the _trattoria_ as soon as we graduate" Takumi folded his arms and leaned forward too. She certainly was pretty. Probably the prettiest he'd seen in Japan. She had a demure and shy atmosphere around her and by the way she swayed a bit from side to side whilst talking, she must be an easily excited person.

"My _pappa_ is Japanese and my _mamma_ is Italian. She manages the restaurant in terms of finances and she's very supportive, along with my _pappa_ , of my me and my brother's destiny to be a successful chef. _Grazie_ "

The waitress came back and placed his cup of espresso in front of him and a small plate of a beautiful slice of raspberry _semifreddo_ decorated with fresh raspberries, a sprig of mint and some raspberry coulis. He held his breath and watched as Ayame slid the spoon across the creamy, pink _semifreddo_. She lifted the morsel to her lips and clasped her lips around the spoon. Time significantly slowed for Takumi as she slid the spoon from between her lips, a bit of the Italian dessert dotted the corner of her mouth. A pink tongue slipped out to catch the droplets of _semifreddo_ and she hummed in delight, an angelic hum clearly engrossed with the taste of the raspberry. Her eyes closed serenely and Takumi's remained transfixed as her jaw moved up and down. He could imagine her tongue pumping inside, letting the frozen dessert cover every one of her taste buds, savouring the sweetness and creaminess. Finally, she swallowed and released a contented sigh.

"This is really delicious. Want to try some?" she finally opened her eyes, offering him the second spoon the waitress had given her.

Any calmness and tranquility the handsome half Italian felt at the beginning and the relaxed state and the confidence he was in, were all shot to hell.

Takumi released a shaky breath and he could feel his hands tremouring. He quickly declined and lifted his espresso to his lips, hoping the rim of the cup could temporarly hide his growing blush. Once again, he was unusually affected by the way she was freaking. Eating. _Semifreddo_. He was sure the Roman gods were pointing and laughing and him. He was glad that he wasn't there when she was eating _pana de casa_ with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which he could tell from the empty plate the waitress took away. He didn't think he would be able to maintain his composure to see her devour two Italian dishes in a succubine way.

She didn't hesitate to continue consuming her dessert right in front of him. Little bit by little bit.

 _'Cristo...'_ he internally crooned.

"What about your brother? What is it like to have a twin?" she asked.

"W-We do everything together, cook together, learn together, help each other out in the _trattoria_ , hang out together. I actually can't imagine my life without my _fratello_ , Isami!" Takumi counted off with his fingers enthusiastically.

"Cool. I don't have any siblings, let alone a twin. I've always wanted to know what it's like. Are you enjoying Tootsuki?" She asked, licking her finger, as she accidentally got raspberry coulis on her finger tip. He felt his soul writhe.

"U-Um, yeah... I am. There are a lot of competitions there to keep everyone in top shape. The cooking courses and assessments are crazy hard, but of course I always succeed. Everyday there are new challenges designed to cull as many students as they can"

"Damn, that sounds brutal and I'm sure as a talented chef you overcame every single one of them with ease" she said, halfway through her dessert.

Takumi felt another blush creep in and smiled and then it twisted into a burning grimace. "Yeah... Also the main and most common challenge that's celebrated in Tootsuki are the _duelli_ or _shokigeki_. They're cooking battles between students and stakes are put on the line to make things interesting"

"Have you won any?" Ayame was looking more intrigued.

" _Sì_ , I've won many, but there are some challenges I have yet to overcome... that _bastardo_ Yukihira Souma and another named Mimasaka Subaru" annoyance coated his words, piquing curiosity from the _bella_ opposite him.

"I have vowed on the name of _Trattoria Aldini_ to defeat Yukihira with my cooking skills. He is arrogant and cocky and I so badly want to wipe that smug look off his face. He is a formidable opponent who have also battled on the front-lines of the culinary world, because he has a diner too. But as an already established chef to another, I have no intentions of losing to someone my age"

Her melodious laughter rang out in the cafe. He looked up.

"What about Mimasaka Subaru?" she asked, still eating her _semifreddo._

"I-I lost to him fair and square, but he insulted my brother and that's unforgivable. Next time I see him, I'll be ten, no, a hundred steps ahead! And really show him what it takes to be an Aldini chef. I also lost my _mezzaluna_ to him in that very same competition because we agreed to make it a _shokugeki_ at the same time. It's a special Italian kitchen knife shaped like a half-moon, used for chopping herbs and things. But Yukihira won it back as part of the stakes of a _shokugeki_. I told him to hold on to it so that I can win it back properly, with my own hands" Takumi coughed into his hand, not meaning to sound a little dark in this moment.

"Wow, I didn't think cooking would be this dramatic and thrilling! Well it's a good thing your father and uncle sent you to Tootsuki because challenges are how we better ourselves" she smiled. She placed her spoon down and picked up a raspberry and popped it into her dainty mouth. "I hope you get your knife back soon".

Takumi shifted uneasily in his seat, trying to avoid looking at her eating raspberries.

"I guess. I've never felt so strongly bonded to cooking until I came to Tootsuki. I think before I left _Trattoria Aldini_ I felt... _come faccio adirlo_... like I had been missing something. Like something inside me was running out" he brought his elbow up to the table top and rested his chin, studying her face. He noticed pink dusting her cheeks like it did the time at the school.

Ayame cleared her throat "Perhaps that was what your father and uncle foresaw?" she looked off to side in thought.

"Perhaps..." he said offhandedly "But enough about me, how about yourself?" he straightened his back and took his now warm _espresso_ to his lips. His eyes pierced hers as he watched her tap her finger against her lips.

"Hmm... What's to tell? I go to Karakura high school as you know. Haha! I'm really into the hard sciences like physics and mechanics. You see. I want to study to become a mechanical and robotics engineer" she looked down shyly.

"Mechanical and _robotica_? Isn't that extremely hard?" Takumi widened his eyes.

 _'Goodness! She has great ambition. There is definitely more to her than meets the eye'_ he thought. He was quite pleased to her that she had a challenging goal to strive towards just like himself.

"Yeah, it will be but I'm not bothered by that. I want to be like my grandfather. You know, he was a civil engineer during the war. In 1945 when the atomic bomb was dropped onto Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the train lines were still running and fully functional. Unbelievable, I know. They even still transported people on time, like without any delays as it always had. It was thanks to my grandfather and his team of engineers that this was possible. Morale was really important at the time; we couldn't let the enemy know we were spiritually defeated."

Takumi was amazed with her story.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sure you didn't want to hear something long-winded like that" she tucked a black lock of hair behind her ears.

" _Nessun problema!_ I thought that was very interesting. It's not every day you meet someone related to a hero of some sorts" Takumi leaned forward again, giving her an encouraging smile.

Another adorable blushed adorned her cheeks. She continued to pick at the raspberries and popping them into her mouth.

"So, what about your friends at school?" Takumi finished the rest of his _espresso_ and patted his mouth with the serviette, once again hoping to hide his blush.

"I have two best friends, Chizuru-chan and Kuchiyose-kun. We hangout and we study together. Actually they are the only friends I have in school"

"Would you consider me... a f-friend too" Takumi pursed his lips and trained his eyes on the bowl of packet sugar between them, holding his breath.

"Well duh! You helped me out when I needed it most. Of course you will forever be in my good books" she placed her soft hands over his wrist and gave it a re-assuring squeeze and smiled happily at him.

Takumi felt an over-whelming feeling of gladness with a strange mix of giddiness. The warmth on his wrist spread to his face as he realised that she was touching his hand. Again. Before he could react, she removed her hand and placed it on her lap.

"Anyway. Chizuru-chan is a bit of a trouble maker and always getting into detention. But she is very clever and I know she could do so much better in school if she put in more effort. She's always there for me when others weren't and we have a lot of fun together. Although I wished she wouldn't nag me to go out when we have tests and assignments to get on with. Kuchiyose-kun on the other hand... well he's quite stoic and is very athletic. He doesn't talk much but I know he's always patient and listening to people who cared enough to get to know him. The only time I see him not with us is when he's playing soccer with the school soccer team"

"What kind of things do you enjoy?" asked Takumi.

"I like to research stuff about interesting things, especially mechanical and robotic topics. You could probably tell that's a very nerdy thing to do, haha" she chuckled behind her hand.

"No way, I think it's great that you have a passion, which is something I can totally identify with. I don't know anything about mechanics and _robotica_ myself since I dedicate my life to being the best chef and beating Yukihira, but I would like to know more about the things that you know"

"Oh you don't have to say that. But thanks though, it means a lot to hear it, Aldini-san" she said.

"Takumi"

"Huh?"

"Call me Takumi since you allow me to call you Ayame-san. Also I'm not quite used to people calling me by my last name so much" he rolled his eyes playfully.

"Takumi-kun, then" she gave him a thumbs up.

 _"Molto bene"_ he gave her a thumbs up back.

The both of them burst into laughter and it didn't take long to settle back down into a comfortable atmosphere. Ayame asked him what that mean in Japanese and she tried saying it the way he did, but failing miserably. The articulation of her lips and tongue improved each time to master the Italian phrase, but she soon gave up when he said it was close to being understandable. Takumi felt a pleasant smile take over his lips a he looked at Ayame, and she did the same.

Takumi continued to listen to her talk about Japanese school life carefully and with minimal input. This was what her life was like and these were the types of people she shared a bond with. He would do well to listen and remember these ingots of information. Eventually it looked like she had run out of things to say and began fiddling with her serviette.

'I really want to ask her... just to be sure... I shouldn't make assumptions' he thought sheepishly.

"Wh- what, umm... d-do you think about I-Italian food?" he asked nervously and cursed the Roman gods for his sudden inability to form words like a man.

"Hmm? Italian food? It's the best type of food out there by far! I love Italian food. It's my favourite" she beamed at him.

His heart pounded in his chest cavity, crushing his lungs and right now his face could explode in a display of raspberry coulis. "Well, I—"

 _CRASH! BANG!_

Takumi's words were cut off as both teenagers heads flew to the direction of the café kitchens. Cries and yelling came from within.

"What's happened?" asked Ayame.

The blonde Italian got up from his seat and walked around to take a look but almost got steamrolled by two panicked waitresses who were previously taking customers' orders. They dashed madly through the double doors. Through the flapping doors, he could see more of the wait staff running around like headless chickens.

 _"Oh my god! Is he alright?"_

 _"Somebody needs to take chef Jirou to the hospital quick!"_

 _"What are we going to do about the customers?"_

 _"It's a Thursday, we don't have any other chefs on duty. Can Kazuma-san manage the rest?"_

 _"I can't! I've only just started as a kitchen hand!"_

Takumi had heard enough to know what had happened. Accidents in the kitchen were uncommon in his _trattoria_ , but it did happen. He pushed open the kitchens and looked around catching everyone in there by surprise.

"Customer-san! You shouldn't be in here!" yelled the red-headed waitress.

Takumi ignored her, looking at the head chef of _Cioccolatini_ sitting on the kitchen floor, easily identified by his uniform. His aged face was twisted in agony as he clutched his right hand to his chest. A large and growing brown oil stain covered his white chef's uniform, leaving a trail behind towards the skillet he must have dropped and the _bistecca_ he was grilling lay splattered on the floor.

It was clear as day. The head chef had somehow sprained his wrist.

"Tell me what the customers ordered and I will take over from there" Takumi said with a serious and determined expression.

"W-what are you talking about?" came the raspy voice of the head chef from the floor. He winced in pain.

"I'm Takumi Aldini, a student from Tootsuki Culinary Academy and a trained chef. I can manage things from here so you don't have to close the cafe" he picked up the frying pan and threw it in the sink, and then picked up the _bistecca_ with some paper towels he found on the counter and threw it into the bin. It was a shame because it was terribly good.

"Tootsuki!?" the waitresses and waiters whispered conspiratorially amongst each other.

"Even if you are, b-but this cafe serves only Italian f-food..." said the head chef.

"Well you're just in luck" Takumi stepped around the food preparation counter and grabbed an apron lying around and strapped it on. He then took the first order ticket in line, wedged above the serving window.

"I happen to specialise in Italian food and have worked as a chef in my family _trattoria_ for eight years" he said, holding up and checking the sharpness of the chef's knife a self-satisfied grin on his face.

"Chef..." said one of the waitresses, looking to the captain of the kitchen for his lead.

The noise outside in the cafe rose as the customers were starting to stir. Takumi could hear them ask each other what was happening and when they were going to get their food. Questions started to emerge about the management in the kitchens as the atmosphere was irrevocably disrupted. If Takumi had to guess, they would soon be walking out.

The chef sighed.

"Do as he says. We can't turn away our customers just because I was careless. Our service is dedicated to our patrons and it will do us great dishonour if we abandoned our duties" he said resolutely.

Takumi nodded.

"I sincerely hope you know what you're doing young man, the reputation of my café lies in your hands"

"Leave everything to me" said Takumi.

* * *

 _'Amazing... just incredible!'_

Ayame watched gobsmacked as Takumi-kun blitz around the kitchen like a figure skater. Every movement he executed was efficient and he navigated around the kitchen like the lord of his own manor. His hands expertly handled all the knives with such agility that they were a blur when dressing different meats. He was the senior orchestral conductor flicking the baton through the air to lead a symphony. His eyes were a steely blue and his face was pure concentration. He wasn't even sweating! How on earth was he able to make all the dishes without any recipes at hand?! The amazing student chef took advantage of the kitchen hand, shouting him questions and blasting him with orders as he created antipasti, entrees, mains and desserts that looked like artistic masterpieces.

Her heart was blooming with respect for him.

" _Finito!_ The chicken _parmigiana_ with a side of chips and aoili sauce for table five!" he yelled. A waiter quickly grabbed the dish and exited the kitchens.

Ayame snapped out of her thoughts. What could she do? She had to do something to help!

"Chef-san! Wait in the changing room" Ayame yelled. The two waitresses and the chef looked up abruptly as if they didn't even know she was there at all.

Ayame flew out the double doors and retrieved two wooden rulers from her book bag in haste. She always carried two rulers because Chizuru-chan often forgot hers. She ran back into the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Takumi-kun at the stove before finding the changing rooms very easily.

 _'There must be an emergency medical kit somewhere. There!'_

Ayame slammed open the medical kit that was hooked to the wall. Kitchens by law had to be equipped with medical kits that were within easy reach and their contents, easily accessible. She rummaged through them and found the rolls of white bandages she was looking for. Next she ran to the changing room which was also easy to find.

"Here, hold your arms up like this. I'm going to make you a temporary splint to stabilise your arm and prevent further injure to the wrist" Ayame said as calmly as she could. She laid the two rulers flat on each side of the arm and over the hand with the swollen, purple wrist in the middle. Her heart flinched when the head chef flinched also. She asked the waitress to hold them in place whilst she carefully wrapped the bandages around the two rulers and the head chef's arm and his hand, trying to be as gentle as she could. It had to be tight to keep the wrist in place but not too much to hurt him. In truth, she had never dressed a wound this severe. She only read about splints and how they worked and she prayed that this will be enough before he could get to the hospital. Finally, she cut the bandage and tied it off.

"Please keep your arm close to you" she said.

"T-thankyou, young miss" he said shakily, still wincing from the pain. It made Ayame's heart cry.

"Tsubasa-san! Hiro-kun's brought the car around. You can take Chef Jirou out through the back door where the car is. Natsuki-san is going with with him to Karakura Hospital" said one of the male waiters.

"But we'll be short-staffed!"

"I-I can wait tables!" Ayame said hurriedly.

"What? Have you got any experience?" the waitress asked incredulously.

"N-no, but I can certainly try and we don't have any time to lose before the customers change their minds and leave"

Chef Jirou was already out the back door leaving one the waitresses behind with Ayame.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Kanda Ayame" she fiddled with her fingers under the scrutinising gaze of the waitress.

"Okay Kanda-san, my name is Saori. Just follow my lead. Now let's get to work"

"Alright!"

Saori-san directed Ayame to where she could find a fresh set of waitress' uniform and gave her a pen and the order pad.

"Start with the patrons that look a bit pissed. It will be tough, but we'll have to take their orders first. Oh and also offer them a ten percent discount, only for the customers that have waited a long time"

"Yes" Ayame prayed that this will work.

She took the hair-tie from her wrist and tied her hair into a high ponytail, ready for business. She marched with fake confidence and stopped at a table of a couple who already drank half of the table water and with a slightly agitated expression on their face.

"My name is Ayame, I apologise for the long wait. One of our staff have hurt themselves, but they are ok now, we'll still manage. May I take your order?" she said politely, trying not to make her voice shake.

The male counterpart threw her a dubious look and huffed.

"If you say so then... I'll have the chicken and mushroom _fettuccine_ with a Caesar salad" he said.

"And I'll have a veal _scalpolini_ " said the female counterpart.

"Ok. Just to let you know, you will be receiving a ten percent discount for your troubles" Said Ayame, quickly scribbling down their order.

She quickly went to the window and passed through the next order. Takumi-kun automatically took the order with barely a glance and then he back tracked immediately as if someone dropped a bucket of ice water over his head.

"Ayame-san?! What are you doing?" he yelled eyes wide and flabbergasted.

"What does it look like? Helping out and waiting tables!" she hissed back.

His face was frozen for a moment until it formed into a smirk that made her face heat up and her tongue melt to the back of her mouth.

"Alright. Take this to table ten" he placed an exquisite looking plate of _bruschetta_ onto the window counter.

"I'm on it" she found the courage to wink at him.

* * *

"Oh. My. GOD! I'm so beat" exclaimed Saori-san as she locked up the front.

Ayame agreed wholeheartedly. She couldn't feel her hands anymore and her legs could give out at any time. The others had already left thanking herself and Takumi-kun non-stop and how forever in debt they were to them.

"Thank you so much, you guys. We were seriously going to close up, but that would've caused more trouble in the long run"

"I'm happy to be of service and also thank you for putting our bills on the house" Takumi-kun said graciously.

"Don't worry, it was worth it. If only you saw the faces and heard the unbelievable praises from the customers! They won't stop raving on and on about your food!" Saori-san fist pumped the air.

"I know" Takumi-kun smiled.

Ayame wholeheartedly agreed again. Takumi-kun's food was an absolute hit and it coaxed out the most erotic of reactions from the patrons. She was even hungry watching the food being pumped out of the kitchens and when serving it to the customers. The aroma was irresistible and spoke volumes in her stomach. Literally. Takumi Aldini was truly gifted.

"What will you and the café do now?" asked Ayame.

"The owner's son is a chef too who works three days a week, so he'll be coming in to take over as head chef for six days a week until his father, chef Jirou, is fit enough to cook again" said Saori-san as the three of them walked out into the open street of the cafe district. "You Tootsuki students are absolutely amazing. I see they have trained their students well and their standards are still golden" Saori continued.

"Oh, I'm not a Tootsuki student, I'm just a regular high school student" said Ayame.

"You're still amazing all the same. This is my car. Do you guys need a lift home?" Saori-san offered.

"No thanks, I live on the campus I can take the bus from here" said Takumi-kun politely.

"I live very close by, I don't need to be home straight away" said Ayame.

"Ok then. Once again thank you so much! I'll have a word with chef Jirou to see what else we could arrange for you two, for saving our bacon" said Saori-san.

"Please don't, I'm just doing what I had to as a fellow chef" Takumi-kun said proudly.

The three waved goodbye and the head waitress drove away in the twilight, leaving only the two teenagers. Ayame looked over at Takumi-kun and suddenly, he looked so... different. She knew his history as a chef in his family diner, but to actually see him in action made her heart beat ecstatically in her chest. The way he handled the food was firm but gentle and it spoke of his absolute passion for the culinary arts. His work ethic was phenomenal. He _actually volunteered_ to help as well and saved the cafe single-handedly. His blue eyes reflected the sunset. This was a sixteen-year-old boy who had been out there and knew what it was like to work and serve. The evening breeze caught his golden tresses, letting it dance around his head.

She never noticed it until now, but he wasn't just handsome like Chizuru-chan put it.

He was breathtaking.

"Ayame-san?"

"AH! Umm, I wasn't staring..." she murmured, shielding her face from him with her hair.

"What?"

"Nothing..." she replied.

"Where do you live?" asked Takumi-kun. She dared another look at him and was instantly mesmerised by his bright blue eyes and charming smile.

"I live in Kitakawase ward. It's only ten minutes away"

"Ah, I'll walk you home" Takumi-kun smiled at her.

"Seriously Mister 'Hero-Mach-Two', you don't have to. I'll be fine on my own" Ayame tried to tease him a bit to hide her nerves.

"What kind of _gentiluomo_ would I be, if I let you go on your own while it's getting dark?" Takumi-kun chuckled lowly back at her. He walked passed her off in the right direction like he knew where he was going.

 _'He smells like cedar'_

He stopped and turned around and looked at her, a cheeky grin on his handsome face waiting for her to follow.

 _'Urgh... I am absolutely NOT telling Chizuru-chan about this'_ she thought.

* * *

 **The action is starting to pick up now. I don't know much about service, but I hope that all seemed right. Takumi is just a hot and bothered mess when he is with Ayame haha. What other adventures an elite cooking student and a regular nerdy high school student will embark on together?**

 **I hope you guys have enjoyed the chapter :) Don't forget to review, I'd love to hear from you guys!**

 **See you in 5 days!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-Tripwire-dono**


	3. Meeting Her Friends

_Chapter 3 – Meeting Her Friends_

* * *

"Damn that Yukihira…!" Takumi crushed the postcard in his hand.

That damn flea had the nerve to send him a postcard from Hokkaido. What was he trying to get at? He was having fun gallivanting all around in the snowy regions with his old middle school friends while he, Takumi Aldini was back at Tootsuki slaving away in the Polar Star kitchens finding new ways to beat him. It wasn't like he had to stay back at Tootsuki, it was Isami's turn to return to _Italia_ to help out at the restaurant. At least he was making the most of it!

' _He's not taking our battle seriously! What the Diavlo is he doing, isn't he scared of losing his pride to me!'_

Why wasn't Yukihira continuing to train and hone his cooking skill in the holidays like he should be, so that he could be ready to _combattere_ him in the cooking arena once and for all? It had been more than year since Yukihira transferred to Tootsuki which was during the spring and for Takumi, it had been almost five years when he and Isami transferred in the middle school division. Their cohort was now in second year of the high school division and Takumi felt he was steadily getting closer enough to Yukihira, but not enough, let alone knocking one of the Elite Ten off their throne. The constant school assessments and competitions had been pushing the two apart from meeting their fated _duelli_ and it was driving Takumi nuts.

Just this morning, Takumi visited Megumi-san once again to try out some more dishes. This time he had four recipes up his sleeve again. Both he and Megumi-san judged his dishes and proposed critical analysis on each of them until the rustic girl decided that two out of the four dishes today could possibly beat Yukihira.

Takumi shoved the postcard into his pockets, not caring that it was already scrunched up.

It was better than the previous time and Takumi took little comfort in that. It was not enough. _All of his dishes_ had to beat Yukihira. He was not amused when Megumi-san suggested that he had been obsessing over Yukihira too much. That wasn't true at all, goals are there to be achieved and challenges were there to slaughtered, and Yukihira was just one of them, so of course he would dedicate most of his time to defeating him and make him acknowledge him as his better.

Next would be that gorilla-faced Mimasaka. He would beat him into submission with the power of _Aldini_ and make him pay for slandering Isami. He should be lucky the _Aldinis_ weren't part of a mafia family, at least not the ones he knew of.

Takumi made his way through the grand main building. On the way he met Arato-san who was running errands for Nakiri Erina again. Around the corner he spotted Hayama Akira carrying some folders regarding spices. It was a known fact amongst his year group that he resided in the seminar room with his professor, the spice master. It wasn't really a room. It looked more like a super large metal container used for shipping cargo in his opinion. Or even those temporary buildings found on construction sites.

He had just entered the dormitory wing when something heavy crashed onto him.

 _THUMP!_

"Uwaaah~"

Takumi was sprawled painfully on the floor and he could almost see stars and little canaries. He shifted slightly and groaned uncomfortably. He opened his eyes and found the tops of a dark-haired head tied in half a pony tail with a red ribbon.

It was a girl.

She lifted her head and pouted, almost about to yell at him and then stopped in surprise. It was that emcee Kawashima Urara for _duelli_.

"Sorry Kawashima-san, I didn't see you there" he grumbled.

"Oh! No I should be sorry Takumi-kun!" she cooed.

She wasn't getting off his chest so he firmly pushed her off and dusted his clothes. Kawashima Urara was someone Isami warned him to avoid as much as possible. Takumi knew she was known as the man-eater amongst his fan-club and she thrived off the attention from boys. She had the right look. She was attractive, petite and behaved in a very cute manner, which was everything the male students kept on a pedestal. She was the school idol as far as he could tell. She hated when other girls stole her thunder and because of that she could turn pretty ugly, pretty fast (not that any of the boys would've noticed).

But to Takumi, her sickeningly sweet manner of speech and cloying personality made him cringe. If he didn't have manners he would've called her a _tart_ and if he was extreme like his _mamma_ back in _Italia,_ he would call her a _vampiro femmina_. The latest rumour had it that she was on a man-hunt.

"I'm such a klutz, silly me…" she pouted, dusting her skirt.

"Think nothing of it" he replied back.

"But you were just the person I was looking for! You see, I want to practice making different pastas and I was wondering if you have time today to give me a few pointers" she said demurely and pressed her hands together, leaning forward towards him.

' _Dio mio…'_

"I'm sorry Kawashima-san, but I have somewhere I need to be this afternoon. Perhaps another time" He said forcing a charming smile. He side-stepped around her to make a bee-line to his dormitory room when she wrapped herself around his arms before he could get away any further.

"Oh please~ You're the best in Italian cooking and it wouldn't do if I had to take advice from someone who was second rate" she continued to pout and rubbed herself on his arm.

He recoiled.

"Haha… I'm sorry, it's a rather important thing I have to get to. Please let go" Takumi pried himself out of her strong grip and quickly entered his room and shut the door, locking it for good measure. He rested his back on the other side of the door, not daring to move to make sure he could hear her leave. The sound of footsteps getting softer and softer told him she was going away. He released a sigh.

' _Just made it…'_

The blue-eyed teen took the crumpled postcard from his casual blazer pocket and threw it onto Isami's empty bed.

He took a quick shower in the adjoining bathroom and once he was done, he wrapped his towel securely around his waist and had another to thoroughly dry his hair. Next he rummaged through his closet and drawers to find the most appropriate outfit for the day. After careful consideration he selected a pair of coffee coloured chinos and a thin shirt with _Carpe Diem_ written on the front in cursive with short black sleeves. He grabbed his dorm-room keys, wallet and his phone, slipping them into his pocket. Then he grabbed his fedora, unlocked the door and headed out when the coast was clear.

It was true, he did have a very important appointment to get to.

* * *

"WOAH! WOAH! Woah! Woah!... _Woah…_ Let's rewind this a bit and skip the rescuing café mumbo-jumbo. You went on a DATE yesterday?!"

Ayame went ahead and told her. It was unavoidable. There was no escape from Chizuru-chan once she demanded an explanation for forty missed calls from yesterday afternoon. Ayame groaned for the millionth time.

"That is _lightyears_ from the truth… it wasn't a date at all"

"Hey. I say it how I hear it. You may be saying something like 'I bumped into Takumi-kun at the café, had lovely chat together blah blah blah' but the subtext was 'He had a romantic coffee with me, he told me how brilliant my mind was and how we should be together blah, blah, blah, and that, my friend makes it a _date_ "

"Chizuru-chan!"

"And I _always_ hear the subtext. GOD DAMN IT Kuchiyose-kun! Don't you have anything to say about this?!"

The tall boy packed up his things in an automatic drone like manner. His face was still deadpanned. He looked like he couldn't care less about Chizuru-chan's blatant display of melodrama. He shouldered his soccer gear along with his book bag and walked away without a word.

"Leave him alone, he's got something on his mind. So much for reading the subtext." Ayame resumed organising her class notes.

It was lunch time once again and half the school were running around whooping and cheering for the end of the school semester. Starting next Monday, everyone was officially on holidays. Ayame was very excited. She had been researching some museum events about the Industrial Era in England she could go to and any historical exhibition about military engineering she could enjoy. So far she found a free lecture she was interested in at Tokyo University. Chizuru-chan had been squealing uncontrollably about a famous pop-group coming to Tokyo and she was saving up every scrap to buy a ticket to go see them. On the other hand, Kuchiyose-kun will be going on his soccer camp for a few weeks or so with the school soccer team. She ticked off the things she needed to complete for the last day. First she needed to return her library books, second she needed to go see the physics teacher about a miscalculation in her exam marks because her 96% needed to change to a 98% and then give him a card because he was retiring next semester. Lastly she needed to empty her locker. Then once holiday started, she had all the time in the world to re-organise her class notes and visit all the fun stuff she had planned.

She almost forgot! There was another thing she had to do…

"Hey Chizuru-chan, do you want to get some ice-cream with me and Kuchiyose-kun after school? I invited Takumi-kun as well and I want you guys to meet him" said Ayame.

Chizuru-chan spluttered, she was probably generating false assumptions again about her best friend going on another outing with the handsome blonde half-Italian so soon.

"I'd love too, but are you sure you want him to meet _me_. I mean, aren't you worried that I might run my motor-mouth and say something inappropriate because trust me, I can without thinking, when there's a _bishie_ in the vicinity" Chizuru-chan smirked, patting herself on the chest.

Ayame shook her head and rolled her eyes. Indeed, she'd thought of that. When she and Takumi-kun had finally arrived at her humble home yesterday, it was around six o'clock where the sun was still hovering at summer twilight. She wasn't sure if she should, but she decided anyway. As Takumi-kun knew that this Friday, today, was Karakura high school's last day before the summer holidays, she thought the least she could do was ask.

She asked if he would like to meet her friend's tomorrow for ice-cream after school.

She expected him to say no and that he didn't have any freer time like today from the way he was looking off to the side, hesitant to speak. Tootsuki was a harsh task-master and their definition of holidays were probably independent study times. So she was surprised and pleased when he accepted to meet her and her friends with a smile.

She had felt elated!

She was so excited to include yet another friend into her circle because she had so few. She was confident that he would like Chizuru-chan and Kuchiyose-kun because they were kind and caring people once their outer onion-layers were peeled off.

"You are my best friend and I've made a new friend. So I want you guys to meet. He's a wonderful person so I know you will run out of ammunition before long" Ayame smirked back. She didn't count the time he came to their classroom to return her dictionary as a meeting of sorts.

"Oh, don't shoot in a standoff before you've checked your bullets. Which ice-cream parlour are we going to?"

" _Meshina_ in Karakura honchou" said Ayame.

Chizuru-chan checked the time on her smart phone then apologised to Ayame and skipped away, claiming that she had to go see the teacher for something, which was most likely detention again. In the beginning, Ayame was completely confident that she wanted her two best friends to meet Takumi-kun. Everyone would have a jolly old time eating ice-cream because it was summer and nothing could go wrong. Now she wasn't so sure. A seed of doubt had taken root into the back of her mind. What if they didn't like him? What he didn't like _them_. Ayame felt uncharacteristically nervous. It felt almost as if she wanted her friends to meet him to somehow _know_ that she made a new friend in him and _like_ him as a new friend. But was that really important? They wouldn't mind at all that she made a new friend. Scratch that, they would encourage her to make connections with others.

So why was that she felt a nagging need for them to _approve_ of him?

Ayame shook her head. She as being silly.

Ayame tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ears and straightened her grey school skirt. First thing was first, she needed to return her library books. She had borrowed four in total, all about advanced physics. She was really keen in looking for something about fluid dynamics but her request to the school librarian to order some engineering books backfired. The school wasn't convinced that ordering a university level textbook would be practical in the least for the students. Oh well, she couldn't win everything in life but at least she tried.

Ayame strolled through the corridors slinging her book bag over her shoulders as she made a beeline to the school library.

Takumi-kun had been an absolute gentleman when escorting her back home yesterday. He would always walk on the side closest to the road and had even insisted he carried her book bag for her. She was sure this was something everyone did in Italy and it was just in his nature to have exceptional manners, so she didn't make a big deal out of it. She expected him to leave her side when she made it to her front gate and let her walk to the door by herself, like other boys did, but no. They walked together the whole way through, right to her front door.

Luckily her mum was working overtime and her dad wouldn't be home until eight o'clock, otherwise she would have a tough time trying to explain why there was an Italian boy on their doorstep. They bid each other a good night and a ' _Buena notte'_ before he departed. She remembered still seeing him outside her home when she packed away her school things through her bedroom window. His head was bowed and he had a phone in his hand and was busy texting.

Ayame also remembered squinting closer as something familiar caught her interest and was shocked to see that it was the leather strap part of the keychain she gave him!

She had felt giddy. The fact that there was only half of it on his phone meant that he had discovered that she soldered a small pin at the back and fastened a butterfly clasp. There was no way the keychain would break by simply falling off the leather strap by accident because she had an eye for quality. He must have noticed the pin and butterfly clasp and had probably found another place to attach the mechanical body of the keychain. That keychain was the first thing she made when she'd brought her personal soldering iron to school. She had received special permission before hand to bring it in to work on her school economics project which was the key ring.

She was so proud of creating a two-in-one design that represented what she liked the most in the world. So she thought it was an apt thing to give him as her thanks for taking the trouble to return her dictionary. She was glad Takumi-kun was enjoying the full benefits of the keychain and Ayame was in a bouncy mood all the way through dinner until bedtime.

"Good afternoon Hirako-sensei" said Ayame greeting the school librarian as she walked in.

"Hmm? Who is it? What do you want?" he asked gruffly, not breaking his eyes away from an English edition of some Freudian text.

Hirako-sensei the school librarian was an eccentric man. He spoke in a strange dialect and treated every student that came into the library as if they were a belligerent nuisance. If he had his way, he would super glue a 'Library Closed' sign on the doors for the entire duration of his employment. Nobody knew why he was working at the school if he hated kids so much. He looked a bit young to be a school librarian, could be in his twenties, but he did his job enough not to get fired. As long as he didn't hit her with a broom like he did to Chizuru-chan, she really didn't see a problem with him.

"It's Ayame and yep, I'm still a bit peeved that you couldn't order the textbook I wanted" she teased him lightly. She was allowed to bring a soldering iron to school, but the library couldn't order a lousy textbook. Figured. She gently placed each book one by one on the circulation desk as he made a big fuss in getting up out of his worn out wheelie chair and nonchalantly scanned them to return one by one.

"Don't come cryin' to me little miss nerd. Go holler at the school principal for shit like that" he said before throwing himself back onto the ratty and worn out wheelie chair behind the circulation desk and buried his face back into his Freudian text.

"Aren't you excited that this is the last day of semester that you will see us students? It's the last Friday" asked Ayame, she loved teasing him. It got her the funniest of comebacks.

"Well it was Friday last week, it'll be Friday next week and every week until we're dead and even then the whole rotten business will go on and on and on…" he grumbled.

Ayame wasn't really sure what he was talking about.

"Come on Hirako-sensei, lighten up. You won't have to see us for the whole of summer holiday!" Ayame laughed.

"But I will again next semester where you dirty, conniving ticks will be bottled with UV radiation poisoning and infect my library with _that_ and your post-holiday drivels" he continued. He reached into the bottom cupboard and pulled out a long bottle covered in a brown paper bag. He took a large swig from it and let it stand on the circulation desk, not looking in the least caring of who might see.

"Do you have any plans? Like go and pa—"

"DON'T YOU DARE USE THE WORD 'PARTY' AS A VERB IN MY LIBRARY!" Hirako-sensei sprang out of the chair brandishing his book and jabbed his finger in Ayame's face.

Ayame had forgotten that Hirako-sensei was highly sensitive and extremely volatile to students making the slightest of errors in Japanese grammar. She gave him a hurried apology and dashed out the door. She didn't think she'd get a verbal lashing from him, even if it was the final day. Oh well. Next thing on her to-do list was to see her physics teacher.

* * *

' _Ciao Takumi!_

 _Well at least she will never, ever  
doubt your cooking skills as a man.  
I hope you know what you are doing  
because you lack experience with girls,  
hehe. Mamma absolutely won't stop asking  
me how you are doing, so I think you need to  
call her soon. Pappa asks if you're happy  
and doing well, however he's  
not keen on your bella though…_

 _Let me know when you get your first kiss :D_

 _-Isami_

Takumi wanted to scream into the street and tear his hair out. Isami never missed an opportunity to point out how uncool his older twin was. He will find something to get back at his brother for ruthlessly teasing him about such personal and vulnerable matters. Like point out some other inferiority complex or whatever. Brothers spats were a given between the two and it always left Takumi in an agitated and moody cloud and Isami up on the moral high ground. The cold and lonely moral high ground… It wasn't a big deal, but Takumi felt a mounting embarrassment from Isami calling Ayame-san his _bella_ …

He snapped his phone shut and clenched it. _Oh_ Isami will get what was coming.

Also the insinuation of that over-rated first kiss. Takumi had never ever thought of it _ever_. He had always been focused on cooking. His 'first kiss' of the culinary world was probably when he pressed his lips to the rim of a wineglass housing the sublime _Chianti Riserva,_ the finest wine of _Firenze_. He didn't dare think about romantic related things beyond that. The closest he thought about her mouth was when he was reminiscing them sucking the spoon dry of the _semi-freddo_ , when her tongue licked around her fingers for the raspberry coulis and when her lips made a small 'o' shape as she popped a fresh raspberry through them. Not to mention the time she was munching on the _pane de casa_ in pure abandon. Her lips always looked sweet and soft.

Never had he thought of them pressed against his own.

That was until now.

' _Curse you Isami, for screwing with my head!'_

Would it feel as soft as they looked, and as voluptuous as when she was eating? It was too late to turn back now, Takumi had found his own guilty pleasure and he scolded himself for the indecency rising to the surface in the worst possible fashion. He took the _Meshina_ flavours brochure and fanned his face.

He came early to _Meshina_ ice cream parlour and he was glad to because it was so hot this afternoon. He was meeting Ayame-san and her friends here and was feeling a tad nervous about what they would think about him. He had only seen one of them once, but only just. He had decided to order an ice-cream first to reserve a table for them and it was just so hot today. He opted for a coffee-hazelnut flavour and had decided to take the time to read Isami's latest text and answer it while he was still awake in _Italia_. He planned to buy another ice-cream once Ayame-san and her two friends showed-up.

"I hope you didn't wait too long" came the distinct ring of the _bella's_ voice.

Takumi turned around and got out of his chair to stand. He pocketed his phone and he gave her a little salute and nodded at the friends she brought along. He'd text later.

" _Buon pomeriggio"_ he said.

"Takumi-kun, these are my friends" she gestured towards them.

"Hi, my name is Namikaze Chizuru and this big oaf here is Kuchiyose Byakko"

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Takumi Aldini" Takumi said politely.

The first friend, Namikaze, made Takumi feel he was walking on thin ice despite her short stature. Her face was split into a very cheeky grin. She talked pretty fast and she articulated every single word to perfection despite her fast speech rate. He could tell she was going to be quite a chatterbox like his _Nonna_ back in _Surriento_. She was rather short and her hair colour was that of _assam_ tea with milk. It was cropped at chin level and was quite jagged at the ends and flicked out, giving her a bit of an edgy look. If he had to make a quick comparison, she looked like an imp. He also noted her eyes were dark brown and was sharp, observing like a cat. He felt exposed when she was scanning him with great detail, not for any indecent reason, but she was probably forming judgements about him. Ayame-san was right yesterday, she certainly looked too clever for her own good.

On the other hand, the tall boy with the slender build named Kuchiyose sent a shiver up his spine. His eyes held no emotion, his mouth was set in a perfectly horizontal line and he didn't make a sound. He had a strong angular face which was mature for his age. His hair was the shade of lilac, it was tied in a man-bun, with random tresses falling away at the nape of his neck and the edges of his face and he had a thin fringe. Otherwise, he would have long touselled hair. He was a good looking person and Takumi was sure he probably had his fair share of admirers too. But with a first impression like this, maybe not as much. He carried what looked like a sports bag with him and had set it down beside the chair that was near Takumi. Takumi didn't really know what to make of him. He just looked empty. He was like fog that one couldn't see through. When his eyes met Takumi's when he greeted them, he was sure for a split second he saw something in there that was akin to nostalgia. Nostalgia for what? He could not say.

These two were good friends of Ayame-san, so he shouldn't judge them too harshly.

"So guys, what are we having?" asked Ayame.

Takumi walked over to stand by her "Try the coffee-hazelnut flavour. That's what I had just then"

"Is it any good?" she asked jovially.

He chuckled "Trust me, I'm a chef".

"Yeah? I guess I'll give that a taste" she smiled at him and poked him in the shoulder. Takumi feigned hurt and she patted his shoulder in jest.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I want the double scoop custard and sea-salt ice cream, _Oji-san_ " Namikaze bounced on her toes like a little child pointing to the two ice cream flavours through the counter window for ice-cream man to scoop for her.

"Are you sure, Chizuru-chan? It's not really a popular flavour combination" Ayame giggled.

"What? You spend one day with Aldini-san and you think you're a master food critic already? Geez Ayame-chan, absorb knowledge a little slower please" Namikaze smirked. She received her double scoop with just as much enthusiasm and skipped over to the table Takumi was occupying earlier.

Ayame-san pouted and her cheeks had a light dusting of pink which Takumi thought was adorable. Her hair today was different. It was plated in a loose French braid which cascaded down her left shoulder. Some small dark tresses escaped to naturally fall around her neck. She looked especially pretty today and it made him happy that he got to see her this way.

Ayame-san received her single scoop of hazelnut-coffee ice-cream in a waffle cone wrapped in their monogrammed serviette. Takumi wasn't sure when Kuchiyose ordered his triple scoop ice-cream in a cup, but he swore he never heard a peep out of the extremely tall boy. He easily towered over all three of them and was only maybe thirty-five centimetres shy from the top of the door-frame. But there he was standing beside the table, slowly eating his ice-cream.

' _Weird'_

Takumi ordered himself a crème-caramel flavoured ice-cream, something a bit more adventurous to try. He waited until Ayame-san was seated first before he sat by her side.

"So, Ayame-chan had told us a lot about you. You're a second year high school student like us, yeah?" Namikaze began, never breaking eye contact with Takumi as she licked her ice-cream "What do you do for fun?"

' _Cristo! Was she hell bent on interrogating me? I can see it in her eyes...'_

"I like to try out new recipes when I get the chance. Back in _Italia_ , my brother and I used to play a lot of soccer in our spare time otherwise we mostly worked in our family _trattoria_ " he said easily.

"Soccer? Well what do you know, Kuchiyose-kun here is the striker on our school soccer team" she pointed with her mini spoon at Kuchiyose-kun who was already up to his last scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Takumi noted that his eyes minutely widened and rose to meet his in mild interest, but then just as fast, he was back to looking down and eating his ice-cream. What was his deal? He glanced over and Ayame-san who looked genuinely pleased at the interaction Namikaze started. He supposed he would make some extra effort in conversing and perhaps getting to know a bit more about her friends.

"Since I'm studying at Tootsuki, I don't have a lot of spare time for anything except for during holidays. I accept _shokugekis_ or cooking challenges from time to time when someone is foolish enough to challenge me" said Takumi.

Namikaze's cheeky smile widened. "Seriously, you must be crazy good. Looks like you scored yourself quite a... _friend_ here, Ayame-chan".

Takumi looked over to Ayame-san to see her blushing again and licking her ice cream.

"What about you, Namikaze-san" he asked back, eating his ice-cream in a cup.

"Me? Well, I'm a gamer, I play most of the usual titles. I like to hangout, listen to music, the usual stuff. Kuchiyose-kun here likes soccer as you can already tell. He also likes cats, plays the acoustic, long walks on the beach and—" Namikaze-san was cut off with a quick karate chop to the head by the tall lilac-haired teen who also threw her a despairing look. Then he went back to eating ice-cream.

The moment came to an awkward standstill as Namikaze grumbled and whimpered in her seat and Takumi decided he would steer the conversation to something else. Her friends didn't sound too weird, quite ordinary Japanese interests in his opinion.

"Ah, Ayame-san, have you received your physics exam results yet?" Takumi asked.

"Yeah! I got 98%" she beamed at him.

" _Congratulazioni_ " he said.

"What does that mean?" asked Namikaze, recovering from her chop to the head.

"It means congratulations" he said smoothly.

The three of them chatted some more about their day to day school life and Namikaze forced Takumi to recount his previous cooking battles and how he smashed his opponents much to her enjoyment. Kuchiyose didn't contribute to the conversation, but he knew he was listening keenly. He watched the way Ayame-san joined in and interacted with them and saw how lively she was. It brought a sense of calm within him which was worlds apart from the ecstatic adrenaline cooking brought him. It was very pleasant. However, the few times she licked the sticky and melting ice-cream from her hands and fingers made his stomach churn and his blood simmer. It started to become erotic to his eyes and he kept shifting in his seat and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Oh, he had to be affected this way right this very moment in front of her friends! The Roman Gods _really_ must be placing bets on him now. His shifting perspective on Ayame-san's eating habits was becoming indecent thanks to Isami's text message! He tried to suppress a groan that threatened to rumble from his throat as he continued to watch her ministrations on her fingers.

"Oh this is ridiculous, my hands feel so sticky" Ayame-san decided to quickly gobble the rest of her ice-cream, even the waffle cone to Takumi's relief and tried to pat her hands dry with the serviette "I need to use the bathroom guys. I'll be right back"

He stood up as soon as she did from her seat and she excused herself, disappearing through the doors of the ice-cream parlour's sat down when he lost sight of her. He turned back to pay attention to the other two but was met with Namikaze's face whose smile had transformed into a grin.

A _shit-eating grin._

"I saw what you did there, _Leonardo_. Getting off from her eating habits are we?" she giggled.

' _Merda!'_

"W-what!? I don't know wh-what you are talking about!" Takumi yelled back at her, his face as red as a _roma_ tomato. "And my name is Takumi!"

"Hells-to-the-yeah we can see it as plain as day, right Kuchiyose-kun?"

The tall lilac-haired boy nodded minutely. Takumi clenched his hands painfully in his lap and pressed his legs together to bottle in the sudden surge to throttle the impish girl in front of him for her insinuations.

"Look, we approve of your advances towards our Ayame-chan. You seem like a decent lad, so you can relax your balls" she sighed haughtily. "But mark my words, if you fucking do anything to hurt her, whether it be verbal, physical or mental… _I'll fucking punch you in the dick with a cactus._ Are we clear?" Namikaze's voice dropped an octave and her eyes lowered dangerously.

"T-The hell! There is nothing g-going on between us! Even if there was, I wouldn't do a-anything except treasure her!" he yelled back.

' _Sono morto...'_

"Now that's what I like to hear! She's smart, cute and boy she's such an erotic eater that it puts chocolates and strawberries to shame. What guy wouldn't want that?" she went back into a chipper mood, but the threatening air didn't leave.

Takumi felt exhausted. She was _nothing_ like his _nonna_. With Ayame-san in their midst, she spoke in a sugary sweet way and when she was gone, she switched instantaneously to crass and vulgar language. Not just her words, but her tone of voice as well. He could tell, she was an extremely protective friend who wouldn't hesitate to tear a new one for whomever hurt the people close to her.

"L-Look, any man would be lucky to have her, a-alright?" he said, turning his burning face away.

"Yeah, I know a few guys who would _love_ to be that lucky" Namikaze said casually and leaned her head in her hands.

"WHAT!"

Takumi's chair scraped loudly back as he jumped out of his seat. His stomach knotted painfully and his blood shot past boiling point. An insurmountable mix of frustration and annoyance dominated his mind. Ayame-san specifically told him that she only had two close friends. _Two!_ Did she have other mail friends? Were these two the only ones who knew there were other men interested in her? Unless these such men never approached her directly and probably admired her from afar. He had the male intuition that such suitors who pursued from afar usually did so for a very long time, biding their time.

Another mix of foreign emotion seeped into his being, growling in his mind for the _bella_ he coveted.

' _C-Coveted…!'_

Takumi's mind jammed itself at the thought.

"Geez _Donatello_ , calm down! You look like you want to shit some four-carot diamonds there. You don't have to worry. She wouldn't be interested in those dweebs anyway" chuckled Namikaze.

Takumi forced his feelings away and retook his seat. Now he understood why Namikaze got into trouble at school frequently just as Ayame-san said. She ran her mouth off with no filter or regard for other's feelings. He was about to yell at her to stop calling him different names when she interrupted.

"Oh! Welcome back Ayame-chan. All cleaned up?" Namikaze changed back into her childish and impish persona when Ayame-san got back.

She had taken out her braid and it lay delicately against her left shoulder. She looked beautiful.

Takumi instantly got up from his seat and coughed into his first and turned his face away. When Ayame-san retook her seat beside him, he sat down also, crossed his legs and stretched his arm over the back of the empty seat on the other side. He needed to be the picture of composure or she will suspect something was up. He looked over to her again, making sure to bypass the infuriating smirk on Namikaze's face before settling on Ayame-san. She intertwined her finger in her hair as she began to re-braided it loosely.

"What did I miss?" she asked keenly.

"Oh just a bit of this and a bit of that. Aldini-san here was telling us about the multitude of girls that chase after him at school" Namikaze said innocently.

"Is that so?" she looked at him.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL! I didn't say any of that, and _you_ stop making fun of me!" Takumi's hands flew up into the air flourishing it about, his face exploding again with heat.

Ayame-san's expression remained a bit shocked for a few more seconds before she chuckled into her palm.

"Chizuru-chan, I asked you to behave… Well, you are very handsome and talented Takumi-kun, I wouldn't be surprised at all" she said and then turned the conversation away into a more favourable topic.

Takumi replaced his arm on the back rest of the empty seat beside him again, hoping the cool metal could flow through his arm and help to ease the blush on his face. He was extremely uncomfortable with the ideas Namikaze was putting into Ayame-san's head. Even though it was a lucky guess and it was true, he still didn't want her to know anything about that side of his school life. He kept his face turned the other way. Kuchiyose was still not speaking, except for a few nods to show that he was indeed, paying attention. Other times he was staring at his smart phone, but his fingers weren't typing anything or swiping the screen for that matter. Actually, his finger never touched the screen. He just stared with his deep hazel eyes. But there was a hint of despondency somewhere in there. Perhaps he was looking at a picture. But whatever it was, he stared for a pretty long time.

He threw a vengeful look at Namikaze and he grimaced at the small traces of that same shit-eating grin on her lips.

' _Che troll...'_

* * *

 **Oh man, does Takumi suffer. It's not going to be an easy ride for him. People need to work hard for what they want, no? I think every guy at one point needs to get pass the 'friends' test 'before they get the girl. May or may not apply for Takumi haha.**

 **Thank you or the lovely reviews! They really motivate me :)**

 **See you again in 5 days' time!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	4. No Good Deeds Go Unrewarded

**Hello my readers!**

 **Before we start, it's been brought to my attention that Pane di casa is not traditionally eaten with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, verified by a true Italian and I'm so grateful for that :) HOWEVER. In Australia, Italian breads are always served in Italian restaurants with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, so Italian eateries operating outside the motherland Italy are not expected to always serve 100% genuine Italian food simply because they need to match the flavours of their dishes using the available produce as well as the overall community flavour preferences. For example Tiramisu made with matcha (powdered green tea) is popular in Japan because it conforms to the Japanese taste, but it cannot be called 'genuine' Italian Tiramisu because matcha in Tiramisu is as non-traditional as anything. Some story with Pane di casa with balsamic vinegar and olive oil in A Touch of Saffron.**

 **BUT I'M SO SORRY THOUGH GUEST REVIEWER! I hope you can forgive me because I still greatly appreciate your superior knowledge for all things Italian.**

 **Enough about me, more about Food Wars! Here's the next chapter :)**

* * *

 _Chapter 4 – No Good Deeds Go Unrewarded_

* * *

A week later, Takumi found himself in front of a pretty huge door. From the looks of it, it was hewn oak and it possessed a lustre of fine polish that could make any master carpenter proud. It certainly had nothing against the ancient doorways of the Cathedral of _Santa Maria del Fiore_ but it might as well try to achieve the same opulence. The architects who designed Tootsuki must have really cherished the European styles as evident by the many French style doors and Italian flourishes in the designs of the cornices, doors, railings and columns around the premises. The note he received this morning said he was to meet Isshiki-senpai first thing in the morning for something important. He wondered what the cheery upperclassman wanted from him. Any business or executive decisions of the Elite Ten were shared amongst each other so perhaps Isshiki-senpai wouldn't be the only one behind the doors to this room.

 _Knock, Knock._

Takumi stood back nervously to see what was in store for him.

A moment passed and there didn't seem to be anyone that was going to open to the door. Takumi gulped. If no one was going to open it then he guessed, he would instead. Just as he was about to grasp the golden handle and turn it, it unlocked itself and swung open slowly in a low creak from the sheer weight of the hardwood door.

"Ah! Come in Aldini-kun!"

The brunette seventh seat stuck his head out and welcomed him in warmly. He was dressed in full uniform which Takumi was glad to see. Which was just as well since he shouldn't be dressed otherwise... right? He wouldn't be able to take him seriously if he was wrapped up in that ridiculous apron and weird Japanese style underwear called a _'fundoshi'_ again just like the last time he and Isami had met him. A glint of gold diverted his attention.

 _'Nakiri-san too?'_

Takumi was surprised to see Nakiri Erina sitting on the other side of the vast wooden desk at the end of the room. She had a stern expression and her arms were tightly crossed across her chest. She was looking down on him from the top of her nose like she did with everybody else who had the misfortune of crossing her path. Both Isshiiki-senpai and Nakiri-san were still completely dressed in school uniform even though it was holidays. Takumi gulped and refrained from dipping his head to check his own casual clothing. It must be because they still had to do their duties as part of the council.

" _Grazie_ , Arato-san" he said to Arato Hisako who had opened the door for him. It unnerved him that he actually didn't notice her at all until now. She just nodded and smiled before taking her place next to Nakiri-san.

"Have a seat" said Isshiki-senpai

He strode over and pulled out a plush chair with velvet cushions and tucked it under Takumi's knees for him to sit, then nervously thanked him. If Isshiki-senpai was here, then things couldn't be bad because he always exuded a benevolent aura wherever he went and always made others feel at ease. The brunette walked back over to the other side of the desk and stood beside Nakiri-san. What was this all about?

"Let's cut to the chase" began Nakiri-san. She held out her well-manicured hand to Arato-san and a small card was placed daintily upon it. "Grandfather received a letter today, and since he is somewhere else on business, it was passed onto me to see to it"

Takumi waited patiently.

"Hisako! Not that damn postcard from Yukihira! The letter beneath it!" Nakiri-san fumed at Arato.

 _'Postcard from him too...?'_ Takumi refrained from saying it aloud.

"I'm so sorry Erina-sama! Here is the letter" The flustered Arato-san hurriedly handed the correct letter to Nakiri-san's impatient hand.

" _Anyway..._ It says here that the owner and head chef of _Cioccolatini_ in Karakura honchou sends his deepest gratitude on behalf of himself and his staff for how you valiantly saved his cafe from ruin with your exceptional skills as a chef at a drop of a hat when he had to be taken immediately to the hospital. He says that he wishes for us to know that you are deeply appreciated and that you are to be commended for your efforts. He says you have really shown him the true spirit of a fellow chef and a Tootsuki student. He also thinks that you are a remarkable chef and he would be happy to take on any student interns from Tootsuki should we ever think about it in the future. One more thing, he thinks that we should be grateful to have a kind-hearted person like you amongst us. Then he goes on a bit more about youngsters these days and work ethics"

Nakiri-san finished skimming the letter and passed it over to Takumi who received it hesitantly. He couldn't believe that the head chef of _Cioccolatini_ would go as far as to write to the Director Nakiri Senzaemon, of all people! Takumi felt a sense of pride bloom in his chest and it warmed him. He didn't fight the smile that streaked his face. A finally blushed. He had received many praises and good reviews from his customers and family about his cooking including how delicious his food was, but he couldn't remember a time when someone praised him for his _character..._ praised him as a _person_. Takumi was both dumbfounded and ecstatic.

"So Aldini-san, you have made a really great impression on the community in Karakura honchou with our Tootsuki name next to yours. It's not every day that one of our own volunteer their services for strangers on their own... which is a pity, actually." said Nakiri-san.

Takumi cocked his head to the side.

"What Erina-san means is that Tootsuki should be supported by the community. Without them, we wouldn't have anyone to cook for. Without them, there would be no joy in cooking, eating and dining. Our school has always catered for the rich and the wealthy, people who could _afford_ gold leafed desserts and the sort. It's very rarely do we serve the ... common people as I hesitate to put it. I am ashamed to say that that was how Tootsuki had grown to become: Gourmet food for the exclusive."

Isshiki-senpai paused to let the information sink in.

"T-Thank you, Isshiki-senpai" said Takumi.

"It's a work in progress. We have been trying to extend our fingers out into every corner of the community whether they be affluent, working class or homeless, to share what we have. So Erina-san and I are very happy that you can do that so easily without having to think twice for what you've done. This letter here is testament to your passion for cooking not just for you, your family _trattoria_ or for the sake of being number one and beating Souma-kun, but most importantly, _for kindness_."

Erina huffed and leaned back into her high-back leather chair, but the was a small smile on her lips. "I was just getting to that Isshiki-senpai" she said.

"Are you familiar with DEF Kitchen?" he asked, ignoring Nakiri-san.

"Um, _non_. I can't say I have"

"It's a cooking school for kids from kindergarten to grade two. It's in Minamikawase. There are also classes for mothers. I supply them with the vegetables we grow on the Polar Star plantation and I teach cooking classes for mothers. This is an example of something I do in my free time because I want to spread my skill and my joy in cooking to others in a way that is practical to them" said Isshiki-senpai.

Takumi felt impressed by the seventh seater's words.

"Souma-kun and Tadokoro-kun have been there to assist me on one occasion and I have all the confidence in the world to say that they enjoyed giving to the community immensely"

Takumi wasn't expecting Yukihira's name to be thrown in there somewhere and it ate at him that he was still stealing his thunder even if he wasn't physically there. Most surprised was that Nakiri Erina was _glad_ for his act of kindness on that day which greatly contradicted his vision for her as a queen lounging around in her ivory tower.

"So if you are ever interested in spreading more kindness, please feel free to come to me or Tadokoro-kun and ask" Isshiki-senpai finished.

" _Anyway_ let's move back into the matter at hand before we stray onto another conversational tangent. We feel that you should be rewarded" Erina raised her voice a bit louder, shooting a disapproving look at the forever smiling brunette.

Takumi shoved his hands between his legs to stop him from fidgeting nervously under the heavy gaze of the two elite members.

"I'm really flattered to hear those words and thanks for your suggestion Isshiki-senpai, but I wasn't the only one to contribute and help out. Besides! I've already received my thanks from the wait staff, so I don't need any more reward than what I've already earned" Takumi said resolutely.

"Another? Who was that?" asked Nakiri-san.

"Umm, it's just another high school student from Karakura High School" said Takumi.

"Well we're only carrying out what the head chef of _Cioccolatini_ wants us to do and we can't exactly ignore that, can we?" said Nakiri-san haughtily.

"So name it Aldini-kun, anything you want, it's yours and anything you want us to do for you, we will" said Isshiki-senpai with a gentle smile.

Takumi thought for a moment, long and hard. He grasped his chin and folded his hand, tucking it under his arms as he thought. It was very rare that a student such as he was offered such a thing from two of the Elite Ten. He could ask for a _duelli_ , or a private kitchen for himself and Isami, or something.

 _No_ _n_. He'd got it. _This_ would be perfect.

"There is something I want, actually" he said.

"Name it" replied Isshiki-senpai.

* * *

"Oh heavens above and everything else in between! It's been over a week into summer holidays and all you've done is re-organise your school notes. Can't you be, like, a regular high school student and just burn it already?" Chizuru-chan wailed from Ayame's bed.

Chizuru-chan had stopped by today to hang out with Ayame. Ayame wondered if they were more alike than she'd originally thought as she squinted her eyes at their almost identical clothing choice. Both were wearing a singlet and pair of shorts and Ayame's hair was tied up in an messy bun with a pencil securing it in place. Meanwhile Chizuru-chan had her hair out like always since it was too short to tie up. It was _that_ hot.

"What kind of person does that? We need them for next semester, you know" Ayame placed a refrigerated carton of fruit juice into Chizuru-chan's hands.

"Thanks" she said, taking fast sips from the juice popper.

Ayame had turned on the air-conditioning at full blast, but it seemed it wasn't enough. She had just hung out the washing early in the morning before the sun could get a chance to char her skin. It felt so good to do something mind-numbing like hanging out all the bed sheets, her school uniforms and _Okaa-san's_ and _Otou-san's_ work clothes. Her chattering mind was starting to exhaust her, especially when she had just finished watching a marathon of _'Megastructures',_ a TV program explaining the finest details of the construction process of many great engineering and architectural feats in the modern world. Everything should be dry by two o'clock and smelling like sunshine, just the way she liked it.

Ayame could definitely use the extra six hours during the day to clean up her room too. Deep down, she knew she wouldn't... Her small bedroom looked dangerously close to being a mechanic's work station than to being a high school girl's bedroom. She had boxes of old circuit boards lying in the corner for her to tinkle with and a large red toolbox stashed under her bed. Her book shelf was almost caving in under the weight of the textbooks detailing physics, aeronautical space travels, mechatronics, civil, electrical, and biomedical engineering. The few other books she had were some manga and a few novellas. Her carpet needed to be vacuumed again because she could see some traces of iron filings here and there. Her study desk had a lamp, a little robot assembled in the corner and a brick phone she was in the middle of fixing for _Okaa-san_. Also, all over her desk were packets of tiny screws and nuts. She needed to organise those too. Finally, under her bedside table was her soldering-kit. That could stay there.

Ayame reached over and grabbed her little robot which was wrapped in a decorated cardboard shell. It brought fine memories. She made this little guy and named it C3PO, even though it looked nothing like the famous robotic character from the American epic space opera franchise, when she went on an engineering camp for middle school students. It was under the slogan 'Engineers of the Future' sponsored by The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers or JSME for short. It was hosted by _Toudai_ and it was the most fantastic experience of her life. She was totally in her element. She worked together in teams to learn programming and to build little robotic cars to battle each and dance. This one she had in her hand was from a kit they gave out for free to everyone who participated in the program. She still rarely in contact with acquaintances she made there. She inspected C3PO.

' _Hmm, it's out of batteries now. I should replace it soon and then I can let it walk around my table'_

"There's a free lecture going on in Toudai in the next week. I'm going to see it with my cousin. You met him last time you were here" she said as she put back C3PO and sipped on her own juice box, enjoying the blast of cold air from the _Daiken_ split system above her.

"Yeah I remember. What's it about?" asked Chizuru-chan, flipping through one of the _manga_ volumes _._

"It's about space time travel and what kind of machine we would need to build to make that possible using our current understanding of the laws of time, relativity and physics"

"Nice. I'm sure your cousin would really enjoy that" said Chizuru-chan.

"Yeah! I'm so pumped!" she bounced on the bed next to her.

"Why don't you bring _Marco_ too? I'm sure he would enjoy it just as much" asked Chizuru-chan. Ayame noted there was something sneaky in her tone, but wasn't sure what it was.

"I don't think I can just stroll up to Tootsuki and ask him. He'll be really busy practicing cooking to defeat his rival. I don't want to be a bother and his name is _Takumi"_ Ayame tucked a stray tress back into her bun.

"If you say so... Tell me, if I were to go back in time to kill my ancestor would that be possible?" asked Chizuru-chan.

"AHA! You've just referred to the 'Grandfather paradox'! Could you go back in time and shoot your own grandfather? Obviously you couldn't because then if you did that, your grandfather will be dead, and then you could _never have existed_ and if you couldn't have existed, then you wouldn't be able to kill your grandfather in the first place" Said Ayame.

Chizuru-chan got up from the bed and listened to her friend as she burst into her techno-babble.

"Professor Hawking said there's nothing in physics that could prevent time travel. But that's not strictly true because there are plenty of physical laws that are not reversible such as the second law of thermodynamics. Here's the interesting point. Are you listening?" Ayame said, bouncing on the bed.

"Every detail" replied Chizuru-chan, resting her chin on her hand.

"If I had a picture of a glass cup and next to it was another picture, but of a _smashed_ glass cup, you could never put the picture of the _smashed_ glass cup at an earlier point in time than the picture of the glass cup. So now the next question is, are we really human beings that are only capable of living in the universe in which we experience time in a _linear thermnodynamic sequence_ or is time actually reversible?" Ayame finished.

"Can you write that as multiple choice answers for me?" smirked Chizuru-chan.

Ayame threw a pillow into her face.

"Another way of saying it is that if we were to travel near the speed of light towards a planet and it might, say, take a minute to get to that planet. On Earth, four years would pass, but in our spaceship only a minute would pass. Therefore, time travel is possible! Time travel into the _future_ is possible. Because the closer you get to the speed of light, the faster –"

"We're _all_ traveling into the future aren't we, just _very slowly_ though. It's going _back_ is the issue I think" Chizuru-chan said with all the obviousness in the world. "You know I can really see you in aeronautical engineering too. Are you sure mechanical and robotics engineering is the one you're gunning for to the end?" asked Chizuru-chan.

"I love all types of engineering, aeronautical, electrical, you name it. But If I had to pick a favourite, it has to be mechanical and robotics" Ayame said, fist pumping her arm in the air.

"We'll have this conversation again after you attend that free lecture. You might change your mind." said Chizuru-chan, getting up to stretch.

"What's really special about this lecture is that, it will have an engineer's perspective on this and some famous engineering speakers will be there" Ayame beamed, swaying from side to side.

The fact that Chizuru-chan responded and bantered back and forth with her during her moments of techno-babbling showed she understood to some degree what Ayame was talking about. At times she asked questions, other times proposed her own subjects on the matter from a non-science nerd point of view. Ayame really enjoyed those times and didn't wish for it to be any other way. Ayame went over to her desk calendar to check the day of the free lecture at _Toudai_ she had noted in, to make sure she got the date correct when something clicked into her mind.

"Oh! _Otou-san's_ birthday is coming up too. It's in the same week. Gosh, I almost forgot" said Ayame. She slumped back down onto the bed with Chizuru-chan.

"I don't think your dad cares about birthdays"

"I know, but he's turning forty this year. His age will end in a zero so it has to be special"

"What're you planning to do?" asked Chizuru-chan, disinterest lining her voice.

"I always make vegetable _tempura_ and _zaru soba_ for him because that's his favourite, but I really want to make something else. Something he wouldn't think of eating, something that's different and new" said Ayame.

"You _do_ _know_ that your dad doesn't like 'different and new', right?" Chizuru-chan asked, perturbed.

Ayame didn't answer and continued to mull over some ideas in her head.

"Is your dad still teaching _kendou_ classes at that _doujou_ in Minamikawase after work?" asked Chizuru-chan.

"Yeah. Being a police officer is hard work so exercising and doing what he loves after his day at the precinct is the best way to relieve stress" said Ayame.

"Have I ever told that your dad is crazy scary? Make sure you don't have _Marco_ over when he's home"

"Don't be silly. _Otou-san_ isn't always like that and his name is _Takumi Aldini_ " Ayame rolled her eyes back at Chizuru-chan.

"Ayame-chan. What kind of man straps a Minebea P9 semi-automatic under the coffee table?!" Chizuru-chan jumped off the bed and stabbed her finger in Ayame's direction.

"That's just one of his service pistols. It's there for safety precautions. If you had asked him nicely that time instead of hounding him to see it, he wouldn't have pointed it at you, which by the way the safety is _always_ on."

"I'm pretty sure his trigger happy finger was about to flick the safety off..." she grumbled.

"Anyway. How is Kuchiyose-kun doing?" asked Ayame.

"Fine I think. He only responds to my texts with one line and it always ends in _'I have to go now'_ " Chizuru-chan whipped out her phone and showed it to Ayame. She looked over and scrolled through the text message entries and it was true. He never said much, only about soccer practice. She hoped that this new behaviour he was growing into wouldn't stick.

"He's been that way ever since _Luigi_ came to our school the first time" Chizuru-chan said contemplatively,

" _It's Takumi Aldini!"_

* * *

Takumi was pumped. After his very productive meeting with Isshiki-senpai and Nakiri-san this morning, he had heard the great news.

' _It's about time they opened up the kitchens again!'_

Everyone received notice that the kitchens were all working and functioning to full capability once again. All the leftover members of the clubs, including the Spanish Cuisine RS, the Skewers RS, Don RS, local cuisine RS and many more were able to continue their research whilst their main members were away on holidays. Luckily for them, they had their own kitchens in their club-rooms and so they needn't have to go through the torment Takumi was going through.

The torment that was _booking a cooking station_ in a pit of snakes.

He didn't belong to a Research Society therefore he had to fight tooth and nail for bookings for the kitchens halls.

He should have seen it coming. There was a massive influx of students wanting to book the kitchens as soon as it was declared they were open to all students. He was furious how the balance of left over students and no academic classes resulted in full kitchen halls. Usually kitchen halls were only used for independent practice or practical classes, but otherwise were empty during academic classes. Takumi cursed his luck that he only managed to scrape a booking at the worst time of the day, which was around afternoon. He wanted a two-hour slot for a cooking station at noon but now he had to wait around all day.

What was he going to do now?

Instead he just wandered around the building aimlessly scheming up new recipes to crush Yukihira. He was having a pretty good time plotting and planning when he was shaken out of his thoughts by the buzz of his phone in his pocket. It must be Isami.

* * *

' _Ciao Takumi,_

 _I don't think she's your enemy though  
and it certainly sounded more like teasing  
rather than a viscious attack on you.  
If she is your bella's best friend then she  
can't be all bad, right? _

_By the way, I received a postcard from Yukihira  
_ _from Osaka._ _Have you got one too?  
Yes, Uncle is well again, __but we're keeping him  
away from the kitchens __just to make sure  
he doesn't contaminate __any of the  
ingredients and us haha!_

 _Hurry and call Mamma, she's waiting!_

 _-Isami_

* * *

Takumi always called home twice a month. It just so happened that his mind was everywhere this holidays that he forgot this time around. He was about to text back when he was interrupted by a high pitched cry and a whinge. It was coming from one of the club-rooms up ahead. He quickly slipped it back into his pocket and decided to poke his head in to see what was going on.

"Ryou-kun! What am I supposed to do if my new centrifuge is on backlog? I'm on a diet so I couldn't possibly have fat in my milk anymore!"

It _just had_ to be Nakiri Alice.

"I've left the company a voice message about how pissed you are about the backlog, Mi'lady" Kurokiba's monotone voice was unmistakable.

"Were you wearing your bandanna?" she asked.

"I don't think so..."

"YOU SHOULD'VE WORN YOUR BANDANNA! Honestly, you're hopeless" she sighed dramatically. "Oh! Aldini-kun, how can we help you?"

Nakiri Alice turned to Takumi after spotting him from the side of the door. He almost had to take a couple of steps back when she suddenly flounced over in his direction with her fingers intertwined behind her back. He had never actually seen the insides of the The Cutting-Edge Cooking club-room, so his ice blue eyes drank it all it. It had been furnished to look like an experimental lab. Go figure.

"Oh Uh... I heard a scream coming from here, so I thought I'd check it out and make sure everything was alright" said Takumi with his hands on his hips.

"Hmm, just some delays on equipment orders. _Which,_ by the way, is scream-worthy. The last time this happened, it was my brand new thermal immersion circulator. I didn't even have enough time to practice with it before using it in last year's Autumn elections to present my beautiful and sexy Thermal Sense Curry!" she waved her arms up and down like a crying hummingbird.

If the blonde student chef remembered correctly, Nakiri Alice the prodigy in molecular gastronomy had scored one of the highest, the top nineties in last year's Autumn Elections and here she was insinuating that her dish wasn't as good as she had hoped. She was full of cheek...

Meanwhile, Kurokiba was pattering around the club-room looking like he was inspecting all the other highly advanced culinary technology, glad to be busying himself with something else than his whinging and whining mistress.

Something interesting caught his attention.

"What's that?" he pointed to a machine on one of the benches.

It was a box-shaped machine about the size of a small safe with a variety of buttons and dials on it. It stood on three metal legs welded into a metal coil of some sort. There was a blank screen on the front of the metal box, which he supposed was used to display numbers. It looked like something Ayame would be interested it.

"That thing over there? That's the thermal immersion circulator I was talking about. It's job is to circulate and heat a warm fluid kept at an accurate and stable temperature when you want to do low-temperature cooking" she said in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Right…"

"Don't give me that look! It's one of the greatest inventions given birth by food engineering to the art that is molecular gastronomy" Nakiri Alice spun around, flapping her hands out to the side in her excitement.

Takumi walked further in and looked at all the special and brand new cooking equipment lining the walls and sitting on the cold metal kitchen benches. It was like a scientist's fun fair. The principles of molecular gastronomy weren't his interest and he never really needed to know about it to Nakiri Alice's level. However, the chemical principles and engineering behind it to create these machines to make the futuristic culinary art possible was in short complicated and made Nakiri Alice's food look, taste and feel out of this world. He might as well step into a science fiction movie.

There was only one other person he knew who would beyond doubt appreciate the physics, the science, the mechanical and the robotics to engineer these equipment.

"Umm... Nakiri-san, do you mind if I ask you a favour?" asked Takumi.

"Sure! What is it?" she replied happily.

* * *

It was late afternoon and Ayame was happily folding the laundry after vacuuming her bedroom floor. Chizuru-chan had gone home a few hours ago. Each time she was about to fold clothes and bed sheets, she would sniff it happily and melt into a pool from the sheer relaxing power of sunshine the freshly dried clothes emanated.

' _I love the smell of clean sheets. They should make a fragrance out of it for candles'_ she thought humourously.

 _Knock, Knock._

Ayame emerged from of her relaxed and meditative state. "I wonder who that could be?" she said aloud to the empty room. They rarely had visitors.

She trotted downstairs and made sure that her clothes weren't too rumpled and her hair wasn't too messy. It wouldn't be very nice if she opened the door and the guest saw her in a way-too-comfortable state.

"Hello?" she said opening the door.

Ice blue eyes peered back at her. _"Buon pomeriggio"_

"Takumi-kun! What a nice surprise. Come in, come in." She opened the door wider and wished a hundred times that she was wearing something a bit more decent. Takumi-kun said _Grazie_ before moving to take his shoes off and Ayame guided him into the family living room.

"I'll make some tea. What kind of tea would you like?" she asked happily.

"I'm alright. I'm not going to stay for very long" he said and smiled at her.

"Really? Okay then" Ayame noticed there was a certain twinkling in his eyes and it made it shine brighter. She had never seen Takumi-kun look cheeky or excited at the same time before and something in her gut told her it had something to do with this sudden visit.

Takumi-kun sat on the sofa with his legs slightly apart and he was taking his time to look around the living room, taking in each and every furniture and ornament scattered around it. Ayame could smack herself in the forehead. This was the first time he's ever been inside her house properly and he was doing what all guests did. Look around. Last time he was here; he had probably only seen the typical front entrance from outside her house when he was walking her home two weeks ago.

"I have something for you" he said suddenly. Takumi-kun reached into his inner waistcoat pocket and took out an envelope. He handed it to Ayame.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Open it" he replied. Ayame blushed. She mustn't have realised until too late that she was sitting quite close to Takumi-kun because his face seemed rather near. Closer than a two week friend would have done. She felt his unmoving and watchful gaze, like a hawk as she opened the envelope.

"These are passes... passes to Tootsuki campus?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I asked for them, to give to you. I thought if you had free time, I could give you a tour around the campus. You wouldn't have ever seen anything like it" he smiled at her, looking rather pleased as punch.

Takumi-kun's smile did something inside her every time. She felt a tingle in her stomach, and her skin prickled. It was a strangely wonderful feeling and it made her heart beat faster. She found herself yearning for that feeling whenever she was by herself. At times she had been missing him, his slight Italian lilt when he spoke passionately and his contagious smiles. She couldn't help smiling whenever he was, it was infectious to her. It wasn't just the mouth smiling, but also his blue eyes smiled along. She felt another small blush creep onto her face. Good looking half-Italian boys would really be the death of her one day.

"Thanks so much!"

"Unngh!"

She hugged him. He felt warm.

Ayame hugged him a little bit longer until his muscles relaxed and he hugged her in return with a gentle squeeze. His arms easily reached across her back and she felt safe nestled in his arms and her head tucked under his chin. She caught a deep whiff of his cologne and it brought out a sense of fulfillment in her. She never noticed it before, but the muscles on his arms were really toned. It must have been from the rigourous training as a chef. She released him and really fought hard to will her facial temperature down. She tried to tuck her hair back behind her ears, but succeed around the fourth time.

" _P-prego..."_ he said lowly. Ayame chanced a look to see his reaction to her hugging and felt a sense of pleasure that there was an obvious blush on his face. Had he never been hugged by a girl before?

"U-um, there is someone I think you'd be interested in m-meeting at Tootsuki, if you want. S-she specialises in molecular gastronomy, which is a branch of food science. She's got all these equipment and machinery that are made from cutting-edge technology and she could show you" he stuttered, his blush still there.

Her. Mind. Went. Blank.

Ayame had never felt as happy in her life as she did now.

Takumi Aldini was offering her a chance to come and see, and possibly _use_ the embodiment of robotics and mechatronics of the cooking world. What other nerdy high school student had that opportunity?! Not only that, she would get a chance to discuss with a real life specialist in the area about the physcial principles applied in cooking. Also, the prestigious Tootsuki was exclusive to only their students, their alumni and of course only the rich, the powerful, the influential and here she was holding in her hands a four passes to enter and have a personal tour of the campus!

"Seriously? Like _Seriously!_ You're kidding me right?!" she jumped up and spun around, not caring if she made a fool of herself in front of him.

"I'm serious" he chuckled back, after regaining his composure.

"Aren't these passes difficult to get?" Ayame calmed down and retook her seat, sitting a bit closer to Takumi-kun.

"Not especially" he said, shrugging confidently. She would weed it out of him later.

"Oh gosh! I could hug you to death or until you regret giving these to me! Whichever comes first!" Ayame launched herself at Takumi-kun.

"AAHHHIIII!"

Both of them crashed into the side of her sofa. She continued to hug him tightly, not caring that she was invading his personal space, that he was spluttering that he couldn't breathe. She ignored the way his body came rigid in her grasp and concentrated on how her body fitted his perfectly as he struggled to recline on the armrest, with one arm supporting them.

All she cared was that he had done something incredible for her.

Takumi-kun finally relaxed again. She felt him give her a one-armed hug only it was tighter and solid compared to before. He also rested his chin on her head and it tickled the way he breathed out on the tops of her hair. The side of her face was pressed at the side of his neck it started to feel very warm from his blood rushing up through the carotid. She felt his heart beat in his chest as fast as her own.

"Is that a pencil in your hair?" his voice rumbled lowly from his neck, tickling her face.

"I'm home!"

"Aya!" Ayame relinquished Takumi-kun and sprang to her feet. She was home early! _"Okaa-san!"_

"Oh have you got a friend over?" Ayame's _okaa-san_ emerged from the front entrance, depositing her brief case next to the _genkan_ as she removed her heels.

Takumi-kun had already stood up a fair distance away beside Ayame as quick as lightening even straightening is waistcoat and hair at god speed.

"Um this is—"

"M-my name is T-Takumi Aldini! I'm a friend of A-Ayame-san and it's a p-pleasure to meet you! APOLOGIES FOR THE INTRUSION!" said Takumi-kun all but yelled at _okaa-san_. He was bent in an almost perpendicular fashion at her _okaa-san_ and she could see beads of sweat forming from the back of his neck. She had forgotten that he was half Japanese on his father side so of course he had to be instilled with the proper Japanese etiquette.

"Oh goodness! No need to give yourself a stroke dear. Nice to meet you Takumi-kun. Ayame-chan has spoken very nice things about you. I ask that you continue to be her friend and possibly look out for her because she could get awfully distracted by vending machines on the street" Ayame's o _kaa-san_ chuckled.

" _That was just the one time!"_ Ayame fumed.

"I d-definitely will. You don't need to w-worry at all!" Takumi-kun replied back still looking like a he was in his first real job interview.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm making _sukiyaki_ tonight" she said. Taking her briefcase and leaving it beside the sofa Ayame and Takumi-kun was sitting on.

"Thank y-you for the offer, K-Kanda-san. But I need to get back to my dormitories. I need to make an international call to _mamma_. It's been long overdue" he bowed again, this time a bit less uptight.

Ayame saw the way her _Okaa-san_ was pleased at the amount of respect Takumi-kun was showing her. If there was one thing about _Okaa-san_ that stood out, it was her deep love for respect that others instilled in their hearts for their parents and family.

"Of course dear. But you are welcomed anytime" she said, making her way upstairs to get change.

The two teens were left by their lonesome in the living room as _Okaa-san_ disappeared upstairs. She replayed the scene in her head like a film take. She had gone and done it and hugged Takumi-kun _on the sofa_. Embarrassment and shyness for her bold behaviour overtook her for a bit.

"I... umm... better get going now" Takumi said finally. He made his way to the door and slipped on his shoes. Ayame held open the door for him and he stepped outside, he turned back to her and was about to say goodbye when she interrupted him.

"I really mean it, Takumi-kun. Thank you. This means a lot to me" she began.

Ayame stepped forward and hugged him around the middle again, laying her head against his chest before the handsome student chef got a chance to react. He didn't stiffen this time and she was glad for it. She felt his hands slide up and gave her a proper hug this time, holding her body close. Ayame reveled in the smell of his cologne. It was so _him_. It reminded her of cedar. She again felt him breathe out on the tops of her head and she too again felt the warmth of his neck permeate her skin. She couldn't see his face and she was glad, otherwise she wouldn't be able to contain herself. She felt his heart beat again and it was beating in sync with her own. A few more moments passed until they let go of each other.

"Umm... here's my number" Takumi-kun withdrew a tiny notepad and a pen from his inner waistcoat pocket with shaking hands and scribbled his mobile phone number onto it. He tore it off and presented to Ayame. He had beautiful hand writing, if she looked past the shakiness.

"Whenever you are free to come and visit Tootsuki. J-just give me a call... or a t-text" he said, not making eye contact with her.

Ayame beamed at him "Sure, I definitely will" she clutched the slip of paper with his phone number to her chest.

 _"Buon pomeriggio"_ he said with another shy smile of his before making his way down her street.

* * *

 **Looks like Yukihira's sending postcards to lots of people haha :P and Takumi finally gives Ayame his number~~ Awwww~~ I'm so proud.** **Takumi had accidentally met Ayame's mum. I wonder about his reaction to meeting Ayame's police officer dad...**

 **I've been loving the detective work everyone's been reviewing me :) It makes me happy that you guys are curious and wondering about the mysteries I hint here and there haha. Trust me, Ayame, Chizuru and Kuchiyose are VERY fun to write ;)**

 **Everyone have a safe and fun weekend! Let me know what you guys think and I'll meet you guys in the next chapter in 5 days!**

 **Signing out**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	5. Takumi to the Rescue

_Chapter 5 – Takumi to the Rescue_

* * *

The last week had been an absolute whirlwind for Takumi. Summer was at its peak and many students were wishing they weren't failing so that they could be home. Outside was an inferno and luckily the buildings and kitchens were all kept at room temperature to avoid spoiling the students' cooking processes. This week Takumi had more luck in securing a spot during the best time of the day, which was morning. During his practice, the surrounding students were in awe with his style of cooking and openly ogled his dishes, which he hadn't minded one bit. They admired his delicate presentation and some students were on the verge of fainting from the aroma alone. Takumi chuckled at the memory. He never minded teaching those student chefs a thing or two about the incomparable talent of the Aldini.

Practicing his cooking non-stop and making sure his culinary sharpness didn't dull wasn't the only thing that kept him very busy. He knew that as soon as he hit the call button on his phone to engage an international call with _Mamma,_ pandemonium would brake loose. He did anyway. She scolded him for being late in calling her and it made her worry that something wasn't right. She demanded if he has been eating enough and not just eating the Japanese snacks Isami had been raving on about. In short, his _mamma_ was just being the usual Italian mother. The next topic of conversation took him over an hour to force her to drop. It was about 'his _bella_ '.

Oh, the embarrassment.

Why did Isami had to go and tell their parents every little thing that went on in their texts? His _mamma_ wanted to know every sliver of detail about Ayame-san, probably for fodder to gossip with his aunts, her friends and probably the entire _Firenze!_ And of course she wanted to interrogate him on whether or not he'd been treating her right and if he was still being a gentleman like she taught him to be (which he found was mildly insulting, even coming from _Mamma_ ). He remembered, in the background he could hear _Pappa_ grumbling about him needing to concentrate more on being the number one cook of Tootsuki and ditch the girl. Then he cringed and had to pull his phone away from his ears when _Mamma_ started throwing rapid-fire Italian curses at _Pappa_. Luckily the phone conversation ended in a good note, when he assured her that _everything_ was fine, he wasn't dating at all, and that he promised to send souvenirs back.

What better souvenirs to send back than Japanese plastic food samples? Takumi had made a special trip earlier in the week to Akihabara to search for some nice looking plastic Japanese food samples that were usually displayed in the restaurant windows. The last time he was there with Isami was when they went exploring Tokyo. They were expensive, but to his relief the prices had dropped since then. He also made sure to buy some souvenirs for his grandparents' home he called _Nonna_ and _Nonno_ in _Surriento_. A nice bottle of _nihonshu_ was something he was sure they would appreciate. He bought one that was especially high quality as _Nonna_ and _Nonno_ knew their stuff when it came to wine and other forms of alcohol.

He didn't waste his trip to Tokyo either. He had made sure to stop by the Tokyo fish mongers to see what he could use as core ingredients to use for practice in making new recipes for the next day. Summer was the best season for _Ayu_ known as sweetfish, _Makogarei_ known as marbled sole and _Kamasu_ known as the Japanese barracuda. He wasn't in the mood for making _sushi,_ so he chose seasonal fish he knew were better off being cooked.

Takumi was sitting under the boughs of the Japanese elm, reflecting on the dishes he made using the fresh summer fish from the Tokyo fishmongers. He had gone with the Japanese-Italian fusion again and was pleased to find that he was improving, to a point where he was sure now that he could smash Yukihira in a _duello_.

'… _and take back my mezzaluna'_ Takumi repeated his mantra in his mind as he ate his lunch.

He'd also been thinking about Ayame-san during his down time. She was constantly in his thoughts when he wasn't cooking. He couldn't believe that she hugged him twice in one day, and he hugged her back! _Twice!_ The memory was branded into his brain and he relived it every night whenever he could. He also couldn't believe he was bold enough to give her his phone number. It felt as if he was making the 'first move' like those male protagonists in the romantic Japanese dramas Isami liked to watch! He hoped that she didn't think anything beyond that he was just giving her his contact number to help make an appointment to explore _Tootsuki_.

He hadn't received a text or call concerning that, however he did receive a text from her just two days ago.

Takumi clasped the lid of his _bentou_ box closed and placed his chopsticks back into the pouch. He fished out his phone, flipping it open and went to enter his text messages, looking for the most recent text she sent him.

' _Hi Takumi-kun!_

 _Kuchiyose-kun had just came back from soccer camp!_

 _-Ayame_

Ayame-san had attached a selfie of the three of them. Namikaze was rocking a baseball cap and a pair of large sunglasses, sticking her tongue out at the camera. Kuchiyose looked like he was trying to escape, so his image blurred and Ayame-san, the one taking the photo, had a lovely and brilliant smile as her hair was tied up into a messy bun and her fringe pinned to the side with a pair of pink clips. She was wearing a black singlet underneath an off-the-shoulder white top, revealing her smooth shoulders. Her eyes sparkled, but he knew the selfie of her and her friends wouldn't do it justice.

He found himself smiling serenely at her face in the picture.

"Yoho! Who's that?"

"AAHII!" Takumi's phone went flying and landed on the grass. He frantically scooped it up to safety and snapped it shut.

"Nakiri-san! What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me?!" the blonde Italian fumed from his seat on the grass at the as Nakiri Alice popped out of nowhere like a round of indigestion.

Her lips curled into a smirk and she giggled as she leaned against the Japanese elm.

"You looked kind of lonely so I thought I'd come over and say _hej!_ Who were you looking at? Let me see! Let me see!" She bent down to try to swipe the phone from Takumi's tight grip but to no avail. Takumi got up and held his phone high above their heads as he tried to swat her hands away and fend her off.

"Is it a girl? It's a girl isn't it?" she huffed with her arms akimbo.

"It's none of your business…" Takumi grumbled, slipping his phone into his pocket again.

"Seriously… you're no fun. Anyway, when are you going to bring that new friend of yours over to see me? I'm dying to talk to someone who's on my intellectual level when it comes to science. It gets so dreary and miserable explaining to people who know nothing of the sort, and then they still don't get it. It would be so much more refreshing to have someone worth talking to and only need one set of explanation for a change" she sighed dramatically.

"Not sure when" said Takumi curtly, feeling a bit hot under the collar. He didn't expect Nakiri Alice to accept his request immediately the other day, when he asked if Ayame-san could meet her sometime soon, as they shared a common interest. He looked off to the side, wondering indeed when Ayame-san would like to come and visit.

"By the way, Kawashima-chan is looking for you" she said as if she had remembered something important.

' _Kawashima Urara?'_

Takumi scowled. The last thing he needed was to be chased across Tootsuki by her of all people. He thought he'd successfully given her the slip last time, but to his disappointment, it looked like she was still going strong.

"She can forget it…" Takumi didn't realise he had said that aloud until Nakiri Alice gave him a knowing smirk.

"Kawashima-chan won't stop until she's got every boy wrapped around her little fingers. I think you've just become her latest target. How does it feel to be one of the most wanted men in Tootsuki?" she continued to tease him with her knowing smile and her taunting ruby-red eyes.

"As long as the girls are polite and don't cause too much trouble around Isami and I, I'm fine with them" Takumi said.

"Always a gentleman~" she hummed, flipping her silver tresses to the side with perfectly manicured nails.

"Where's Kurokiba-san?" Takumi looked around, noticing why this scene looked peculiar. The bipolar mad-dog who was Nakiri Alice's aide was nowhere to be seen. That was weird considering he was always within six seconds of her, ready to receive an order with a heavy, bored sigh.

"I got him to clean my room today" she said it like it was nothing. She didn't seem to be going away like he thought she would. She had already asked him a question and notified him that Kawashima was looking for him, so there shouldn't be anything else she'd want. Now that he thought about it, why on Earth would she be bothered telling him that a rabid girl was looking for him or express her impatience?

"Really... what are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Hmm? I was just reading a postcard Yukihira sent me from _Okinawa._ It's good to use the sunlight for reading when you can" she pulled out the postcard from between her breasts like it was nothing.

Takumi blushed beet red and turned the other way.

"It says that he's been visiting the beach every single day and—"

"I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!" Takumi finally blew up at her, shaking his fists in the Danish Nakiri's face.

"Hmmm~ are you jealous that you didn't get one too?" she teased him back, leaning in close, catching him off guard.

"Fuck no! Why the hell is he visiting so many tourist spots?" Takumi yelled back to no one in particular. A fiery aura burst around him as he unleashed his fighting power from within, aggravated and annoyed that the _bastardo_ Yukihira wasn't taking their ongoing battle seriously.

Takumi finally calmed down from his explosive high when his phone reminder went off, a separate tone from his usual text message alert tone.

"Ah Nakiri-san, I need to get going. I have some ingredients I need to buy for tomorrow. I'll be heading off now" Takumi casually packed up his _bentou_ box and walked away, throwing her a casual wave over his shoulder.

"Get her to hurry up and make up her mind for when she wants to visit!" hollered Nakiri Alice from behind in a sing-song voice.

' _Merda!'_

"WHO SAID IT WAS A _'HER'?!"_ Takumi spun around and yelled back with more force than he intended.

Nakiri Alice's smirked grew bigger and she laughed out loud without shame.

 _"Du drenge er så dum!"_ she guffawed.

Takumi had no idea what she just said, but he ran for it.

* * *

Takumi arrived back at the dormitory by late afternoon. Back in _Italia_ his _familia_ and Isami were probably waking up now and ready to prepare the ingredients before the _trattoria_ opened at nine o'clock sharp. The sun in Japan hadn't even begun to set yet due to the being in the summer time, where the days were longer. Takumi whistled a short tune as he placed the fedora on the arm rest of the armchair and deposited his keys, phone and wallet on the side table. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back so that he could see a bit better. He dumped his shopping at the foot of his bed. He took out the dairy ingredients and put them into the mini fridge, with compliments of the Tootsuki Dorm management. Next he went around looking for where he put that vegetable basket and when he finally found it, emptied his vegetables in the basket.

Takumi had also received a letter for him from the front desk of Tootsuki. It didn't have a return address or an international stamp, so it couldn't be a letter from his family. He opened it cleanly and his face broke out into a smile. It was from his landlady.

' _Dear Takumi and Isami,_

 _I'm happy to announce that the renovations are officially  
completed in the apartment building (Yay!).  
You no longer have to stay at the Tootsuki dormitories  
as the clean-up process has also been finished.  
Feel free to move back into your apartment at any time.  
Thank you for your patience and I hope to see you boys soon!_

 _-Matsuoka Ran_

Takumi breathed out a sigh of relief. Now his parents could stop forking out extra money with their tuition to pay for boarding at Tootsuki. He and Isami have been itching to move back into their apartment for the last two months, not just because it was cheaper to rent, but also they enjoyed the down time of getting away from Tootsuki. His brother would be back within the month and Takumi had just paid for this month's rent for the dormitory room, so it would be a waste if he just up and left with all their belongings now. The reason why his landlady was going through renovations was beyond him. It seemed to be along the lines of wanting to make the place look a bit more upmarket or something similar. Isami had always understood this stuff better. She had promised the bathroom and kitchen would be upgraded in their apartment. _Uno momento per favore…_ Did that mean the rent would go up too?! Takumi sincerely hoped it didn't.

The Aldini decided he wouldn't think upon that matter anymore, choosing to leave it and return to it when Isami got back. He turned his thoughts into more urgent matters, such as what was the next step in his training?

' _Let's see, I've just done a Japanese and Italian fusion. What else could I do…'_ he thought hard trying to see what other inspiration he could conjure up for tomorrow. It had been a long and tiring day, so Takumi decided that a cool shower was in order. Also as they always said, some of the most ingenious ideas were born under the running waters of the shower. Maybe that would solve the pickle he was in.

After a thirty-minute shower, he was feeling fully refreshed. Takumi padded over to the mini-fridge with his towel still draped around his neck. He opened it, reveling in the cool air and popped open a can of lemonade before dumping himself on his bed. The dormitory room didn't have a television or anything so the only source of technological entertainment he had was either watching 'Youtube' on his laptop, or surf the internet, or reading some Italian news stories.

He took another refreshing swig of his can of lemonade and slicked back his hair and pulled at his white tank top, releasing the post shower humidity that still clung to his skin.

' _Bzzzt'_

Takumi looked over to his phone, but it was too far away for him to see whose name was displayed on the screen. Maybe it was Isami. He reached over and was surprised to see it wasn't him.

It said Kanda Ayame.

' _Maybe she thought of a day?'_ Takumi opened the message.

' _HELP EMERGENCY COME QUICK!'_

That was it.

"EHHH!" Takumi jumped up almost spilling his lemonade all over himself and the bed. His blue eyes widened, reading and re-reading the message over and over to try and extract more information from it, but nothing. Just those four capitalised words with no punctuation in between. Takumi sent a quick reply back, to let her know he was on his way immediately.

What kind of trouble was she in! Was she at home? Was she outside her house?! Did she injure herself?! _Did someone break into her home?!_ _WAS SOMEBODY HARRASSING HER?! WAS SHE BEING HELD HOSTAGE?!_

Takumi tripped over himself as he ran into his bedroom and threw on whatever clothes he could find. He grabbed his keys and wallet and struggled to put on his cardigan as he tried to lock the door behind him. Horrific scenarios started playing out in his head as he kept slamming his shoulders into walls while trying to take the corner and leapt down the stairs, three steps at a time.

Luck was on his side when he spotted the bus still at the Tootsuki bus stop and jumped on without a moment to lose. He called Ayame-san, chanting _'Pick up! Pick up! Pick up!'_ in his head while his leg continuously bounced up and down and he chewed incessantly on the sleeve of his cardigan, incredibly anxious to know what was going on. But the call didn't connect. As soon as the bus doors opened at Karakura honchou, he bursted out and ran all the way to Kitakawase ward.

* * *

' _What am I going to do! What am I going to do! What am I going to do! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!'_

She texted the one person she hoped to dear life who could help her and even then she had a one in a hundred chance than he'd come anyway. It was late afternoon and approaching evening, there was no way she could solve this all by herself.

Ayame ran around her kitchen dumping things into the sink and into the garbage. It turned out so horribly wrong! She almost ruptured into tears from the predicament she got herself into. One side of her conscious told her she should go for it, egging her on to do something more adventurous and the angelic side tried to persuade her to stick with something she was confident and familiar with. Boy did she listen to her _wrong_ conscience. It was such a mess and she threaded her fingers into her hair and gripped it, wallowing in her despair.

' _BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!'_

Ayame was shattered from her thoughts and ran to the door, hopping with all her heart that it was him.

She threw it open and was so glad to see Takumi Aldini standing right there. He huffed and puffed as if he ran all the way to her home. His eyebrows were screwed in worry and his eyes were piercing hers, looking at every inch of her body. His hair was slick back, he must've had a shower earlier, but his fringe was plastered to his face with sweat. His cardigan was about to fall off his shoulder.

"What's wrong?! Are you ok?!" He screamed at her. His hands gripped her shoulders tightly and continued to inspect her body. Ayame flushed red at the close proximity and the way he practically man-handled her body.

Without a moment to lose, Ayame grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the living room. She didn't give him any time to take off his shoes. She took a deep breath and finally the dam bursted.

"I don't know what happened! It went all wrong and I didn't know how to reverse it because it got too soggy and so I thought maybe if I turned up the heat it would be okay, BUT THEN IT STARTED BURNING! I just dumped the whole thing in the sink but it was still on fire and I couldn't touch the tap without touching the fire, anyway so I threw ice on it! Now it's messed up. I don't know what I can do to fix this! It was one after the other and now it's totally ruined. _Otou-san's_ going to be so—"

Takumi-kun pressed his finger to her lips and Ayame felt her words just block.

She couldn't read the expression on his face and he just silently walked past the living room and into the kitchen. He went to the sink where there was the most mess and her failure. Then he went to the stove and looked around it, and then to her kitchen bench.

"You texted me… because you couldn't _fry fish_ …" he said softly.

Ayame wished the ground could swallow her up.

"And it looked like you had trouble trying to flip pancakes too" he pointed to the other pan with burnt and sloppy pancake batter in the second sink. _"Grazie a Dio!_ I thought something terrible had happened to you" he braced his hands on his hips and released a deep breath.

Shame drenched her like a freak hailstorm. He must've thought it was a stupid and silly thing to get him to rush over just for this. She couldn't make anything besides cup noodles, tempura and _zaru soba_. She felt tears threatening to spill not because she could only cook three things in the world, and two out of three of them didn't even qualify as _'cooking'_ , but because she couldn't do something new for the _person_ she wanted to cook for.

 _Otou-san_.

"It's okay. Don't cry"

She didn't realise that Takumi-kun had stepped in front of her and was wiping her tears away with the sleeve of his cardigan. He lifted her chin with his thumb so that she was looking at him straight in the eyes. The same brilliant blue eyes. Their face was so close; she was sure he could feel her puffing air on his face as she tried to contain her emotions. His eyes crinkled in the corners and his lips curved into a gentle smile. It took her breath away.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get this place cleaned up and we can start from the top. I'll guide you, okay?" Takumi-kun said in a reassuring voice. She nodded dumbly. Ayame was so glad he wasn't poking fun or berating her for not knowing how to cook.

They made quick work on cleaning up the kitchen and Takumi-kun didn't say any more about her cooking, probably to spare her the humiliation. Ayame showed him where the cutlery and kitchen utensils were kept as she was wiping down the bench and putting the ingredients in a neat order. This was the second time he saved her and she was starting to feel a bit guilty for dragging him into her affairs, even though he was her friend now. She had panicked and didn't know who to text, the only person that popped up into her mind was Takumi-kun. No way would Chizuru-chan be any help, she would just take a photo of the mess and post it on the internet and Kuchiyose-kun was no use to her in this situation at all.

"Umm… what did you do today?" Ayame thought she'd have a go with small talk.

"I wasn't that busy if that's what you're trying to ask" said Takumi-kun as he wiped the glass splash-back behind the stove.

"No, no. I just wanted to know what your days were like… that's all" Ayame felt quite small in his presence.

"I was trying out some new recipes this morning. Other than that I was relaxing for the rest of the day. Yesterday and the day before was a lot busier. I headed up to Tokyo CBD to buy some souvenirs for my _familia_ and ingredients for the rest of the week. I called home as well" said Takumi-kun. "What about you?"

"Me? Well I went with a cousin to a free lecture at Toudai about space time travel and what kind of machine would we need to build to make that possible using our current understanding of the laws of time and relativity, and physics" Ayame said nervously.

She was glad that his face didn't betray any intimidation or any regrets of asking her.

"So, what kind of time machines did they come up with?" Takumi-kun asked.

Ayame blushed. He actually _freaking_ asked. He was actually interested. She couldn't believe it! He actually wanted to know what she had to say. She shyly peeped at him from the side to check that he wasn't pulling her leg or anything, but all she saw was that he was looking at her waiting for her to say something.

"Uh… w-well. One method they discussed are wormholes as time machines. I know it's not technically a machine as you would know it, but it's still regarded in performing specific functions, like any machine... If that makes any sense to you. Anyway, wormholes are little tunnels in time and space. They can connect two different places together from two different points in time. They exist everywhere around us, except they are naked to the human eye and are only nanometres wide"

Ayame stopped to gauge Takumi's reaction. He seemed to be in deep thought.

"Scientists have theories on how they can capture one of those wormholes in space and expand them to allow humans or space ships to pass through. It's really exciting because one end could be on Earth and the other could be far, far away at some distant planet! Theoretically, a wormhole could do even more than take us to other planets. If both ends were in the same place, and separated by time instead of distance, a ship could fly in and come out still near Earth, but in the distant past. Maybe dinosaurs would witness the ship coming in for a landing!" Ayame laughed to herself. Her mind was immersed in the wonderful theories presented at the free lecture.

"H-how do wormholes exist in the first place?" he asked.

"We live in the third dimension were everything is three-dimensional. That's basically _width, breadth and height_. The next dimension is the fourth dimension which describes _time_. There is no physical object in the third dimension that is completely one hundred percent smooth. Even a billiard ball which looks and feels completely smooth to us, in reality has crevices that are nanometres deep. Why can't _time_ be the same? Time has wrinkles and crevices too and it's in those imperfections where wormholes exist." replied Ayame with ease.

"Ah I get it now. So is it really possible? To time travel through wormholes… I mean" asked Takumi-kun as he chose his words carefully. Ayame was impressed that he stayed attentive long enough through her techno-babble. She felt her heartstrings loosen and gladness well up inside her.

"Sadly no… the problem is because of _feedback_. You know how you get feedback through a sound system, like you hear that god-awful screeching when you're talking into a microphone too close to the speakers? What causes it is sound entering the microphone. It's transmitted along the wires, made louder by the amplifier, and comes out at the speakers. But if too much of the sound from the speakers goes back into the microphone it goes around and around in a loop getting louder each time. If no one stops it, feedback can destroy the sound system. Same thing with the wormhole. Rather than sound, we're talking about radiation. As soon as the wormhole expands, natural radiation will enter it, and end up in a loop. The feedback will become so strong it destroys the wormhole. So even if we could capture and expand a wormhole to use one day, it wouldn't last long enough to be used as a time machine" Ayame finished.

Takumi-kun's facial expression was fixed as it was in the beginning. That was usually not a good sign. It usually meant everything was going through one ear and out the other with the brain in between not knowing how to process that information and not knowing where to store it in. Ayame internally sighed. She shouldn't be expecting too much otherwise she would just be disappointed in the end.

"Uhh.. S-sorry, it's just that, I d-don't know anything about wormholes and t-time travel, so I guess I'm still trying to grasp it all" said Takumi-kun. His face looked a bit flushed and Ayame wondered if she had gone too far and possibly embarrassed him.

' _I should have read the signs better!'_

"But don't stop talking about it!" Takumi-kun quickly interjected her anxious thoughts. "Even if I know close to nothing on these sorts of topics, I still like to hear you talk about them!" he had his hand covering his mouth as he looked away, his eyebrows screwed as if he didn't know what else he should say.

Ayame found it incredibly endearing. She bursted out laughing.

"O-Oi! Are you making fun of me now?!" Takumi-kun yelled jabbing his finger at her.

"No, I'm _just so happy!_ " she said. Ayame felt tears prickling in her eyes again. It completely overwhelmed her. Not even Chizuru-chan had said anything as kind as Takumi-kun and even if she did, it would be masked behind some sort of snide comment. To hear it sincerely coming from a friend, a friend she only met a few weeks prior brought a sense of completeness and wholeness to her. Like she was the talking half and he was the listening half. She felt she could talk and techno-babble all she wanted and he wouldn't push her away.

That was how she felt about Takumi Aldini.

"Hey uh… What do you want to do about the fish and the pancakes? Why are you going through so much trouble cooking these when it's clear that you haven't the slightest idea how?" Takumi-kun said pushing the conversation into why he was here.

She owed him an explanation and it will be his turn to laugh, she knew it.

 _"Otou-san's_ birthday is coming up. I wanted to make something special for him. Every year I make him vegetable _tempura_ and _zaru soba_ but I wanted to do something different. He doesn't enjoy Western food much, but he will eat pancakes. I was thinking of making that and some fried fish for him when he's finished with his investigation"

"Investigation?" Takumi-kun blinked at her rapidly.

"Right, I haven't told you. _Otou-san_ is the Superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He's currently underway in a very important investigation, so he's been spending a few nights with his team at the headquarters"

Ayame sincerely hoped that didn't freak Takumi-kun out. But the way he bristled when he heard 'police' was probably a normal reaction anyone would have though.

 _"Okaa-san_ is on a business trip, so it's just me for a while" she said.

"I see. So do you cook for yourself?" he asked.

"Yep. I make cereal and make cup noodles. Otherwise I boil dumplings we store in the freezer and eat it with rice" said Ayame.

Takumi-kun gave her a dead-panned look "None of that is cooking" he said.

That was brutal, even coming from him.

"Well we can't let your efforts today go to waste" he continued, scratching the back of his head. "How about we start with some pancakes. It's quick and easy. I'll show you how to make them fluffy and flip them properly. That was one of the reason why you texted me right?" it was his turn to chuckle at her.

Ayame hung her head dejectedly. "Yeah…"

Takumi-kun got started in giving her a cooking demonstration of the _Aldini_ style American pancakes. She thought it was funny his _trattoria_ had their own style for just a common and simple breakfast item. The ingredients for the batter was different to what she had. He told her his family used beaten egg white to make it fluffy. He had a great presence in the kitchen and all his movements were fluid, just like when he was at the Italian café. He was in his element and it really showed in his expert skill even for such as simple thing as pancakes. Takumi-kun also got her to mix the batter in tandem with him, even showing her how to fold the beaten eggwhite in, especially how she had to be light and do it quickly otherwise all the air will be knocked out. When he deemed the batter and the eggwhite was fully incorporated and still light, he heated up a new pan and threw on a slab of butter in the centre, letting it melt on the low heat. Takumi-kun also showed her how to dollop the batter to make a perfect circle shape much to Ayame's glee. She bit her tongue to stop herself from yabbering about how much that reminded her of the _Vitruvian man_.

"See the little bubbles? It's time to cook the other side, so for this part, I'll show you how to flip the pancake." Takumi-kun flipped the pan and it flew into the air and landed back, right in the middle.

Just like that. No fuss, no mess.

"W-What! I can't do that! Can't you show me how to do it with a spatula?" Ayame squeaked at him dubiously.

"I have a feeling that you will do worse with a spatula" he mumbled.

Before she could yell back at him. He placed his hand on her waist and pushed her in front of him.

"You need to learn by doing" he said jovially.

Ayame was at a loss for words because she could still feel his hand on her waist. She had no idea that his hand was that big. Next, he guided her other hand to the handle of the small pan and clasped his own over hers, keeping herself and her hands steady between him and the stove. Ayame was suddenly extremely aware of how close he was behind her. Her back was touching his chest and she could feel the air he breathed wisp out gently on her head. Her head began to spin a bit as she caught the delectable scent of him, that cedar smell.

"Feel my movements. _Sei pronto?"_ he said lowly, his lips just at the shell at her ears. Her ears started melting.

Her legs started to feel like jelly and her heart was hammering in her chest. She was sure he could feel it through her body pressed lightly against him

Aw helll nawwww she wasn't ready in this universe or all the multi-verses out there.

" _Uno… due… tre!"_.

Takumi-kun jerked her hand into a quick and powerful flip. Time stopped as the pancake spun once in the air. Right on the money with Murphy's Law, it landed with a neat splat on the uncooked side in the centre of the pan. It was perfect.

"I DID IT!" she yelled.

Ayame twisted herself in Takumi-kun's hold and hugged him tightly around the middle, nearly knocking him backwards. Her body was in a full buzz that she got something right for once today.

"Oi! Keep an eye on the pancake, or it'll burn!" Takumi-kun tugged her shoulders trying to pull her off, but Ayame was having none of that.

"You keep an eye on it for me. I'm not down from my high yet" she giggled through his shirt and cardigan.

Takumi-kun was still bristling, but at least he wasn't pushing her away anymore. Instead she heard him sigh and mutter some Italian words under his breath. She felt his arm started moving behind her and could hear the soft clattering of the plate she had left beside the stove for the finished pancakes. Next came the soft sizzle and the smell of fresh pancake batter quickly cooking in butter. She could tell Takumi-kun was still cooking the rest of her pancakes while she was still hugging him from the front. Ayame didn't notice the first time when she hugged him, but his body also felt quite toned, now believing that a chef could actually have muscles. Her mind rationalised that it was probably from lifting heavy crates full of ingredients as part of his day to day work at the _trattoria_. Being a chef had definitely been kind to him in more ways than one. He felt so right. Then his right arm gave another quick jerk and his shoulder tensed, and she could hear the pancake being flipped. She didn't want to let go, even when he was cooking.

"This is the last one. Do you want to flip it?" he asked. She could feel his voice softly vibrate from his chest.

"Uh huh. You gotta help me do it again" she blushed and twisted back around so that her back was lightly pressed against him again. Takumi-kun proceeded to steady his hand over hers and together they flipped the last pancake.

"Your hands are calloused" she said out of the blue. He pulled his hands back as if her words scorched him.

" _Sì_ , from training as a chef" he said. He turned away and took the plate of pancakes to the table.

"Let's eat!" Ayame couldn't resist the mouth-watering aroma of the stack of freshly made pancakes. Takumi-kun easily found her maple syrup and drizzled it with quick flicks of his wrists. It looked like an artwork and she was incredibly jealous that a person could just do that with no effort. She reconsidered her thoughts. It normally took a lot of effort to make something look _effortless_. She wondered if he had training especially for that too.

She passed a fork and a knife to Takumi-kun so that he could join in and went ahead to dig into the pancakes.

The first bite was sinful. It was so fluffy, airy and was so silky against her tongue. A small moan escaped her lips before she could stop it. Her mind was completely enraptured in the richness of the buttermilk. The pancake slid down her throat as if it were nothing. Ayame was in a daze, she unconsciously licked her lips of the maple syrup and like a drone kept digging into the pancakes. Warmth continued to spread in her mouth and into her throat. The aroma and taste lingered heavenly after each bite. It was incredibly delicious. It was _so good_ ; she couldn't utter a word. She just had to put this in her top two naughty foods. She had never tasted anything this good in her life! No other food could compare to the ones made by this Italian wonder-con!

Finally, she opened her eyes and was shocked to see Takumi-kun looking like a complete _mess_.

What was wrong? He was shaking and shivering with his hands fisted on the table in front of him, looking ready to spontaneously combust. His fork remained unstained and it looked like it was about to bend in his tight grip.

"Takumi-kun?" she asked, confusion lacing her voice.

He didn't respond. His eyes were screwed shut and his face was a fire-engine red. His hair was no longer slicked back but was lightly tousled as if he got into a fight with a swooping bird. His body looked incredibly coiled and tense and she couldn't fathom why. When he finally opened his eyes. They looked _totally different._

His eyes were still the same ice blue, but beneath it was so alien.

They looked _aching_ and _yearning._

The feelings in her body increased a hundred fold. Just from the mesmerising and that borderline _predatory_ glint in his eyes. They never wavered from her face, ever since he opened her eyes. All of a sudden she started feeling hot and bothered under his intense gaze.

' _Why is he looking at me like that?'_

"Hey are you alright? Do you need a cool compress?" Ayame got up to lean forward. She was about to place her hand on his forehead to check if he was having a spontaneous fever but he shot up from his chair, creating a massive screech against the tiles.

"I-I'm f-fine. Don't look at me…" Takumi-kun turned the other way, his hand covering his mouth and his other wrapped around his stomach.

He must have been caught in some sort of summer heat delirium because this bizarre behaviour wasn't making any sense at all. Soon Takumi-kun looked like he calmed down, but his face was still red and he was avoiding looking at her which Ayame still found to be equally bizarre.

"I better head back now…" he said quietly.

"But you didn't have any of the pancakes you made" panicked started to well up inside. Had she done something wrong?

"That's alright. They are for you" he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh! Err… uhmm…Thanks for that. I must've taken up far too much of your time then…" she said hurriedly and smiled to hide her embarrassment.

She guided him to the door. He already had his shoes on so he awkwardly stood at the entrance. He turned around.

"Have you given any thought about… when you want to visit? He asked suddenly.

"Aya! Yeah I have actually. You gave me four passes… do they have expiry dates?" asked Ayame.

"No they don't, and you can bring your friends if you want" he said still looking off to the side. Ayame's lips curled into a smile. He was just too cute sometimes.

"I don't know if Chizuru-chan or Kuchiyose-kun would be interested. How about next Monday morning?" she stepped forward, purposely entering his personal space to force him to look at her. She hated not being able to look at people in the eyes at times and more than anyone, she wanted him to look at her.

"S-Sure. Next Monday is good" said Takumi-kun. He looked like a deer caught in headlights.

The two teens talked a bit more about the arrangements for next Monday when Takumi-kun's text message alert went off with a loud _'Bzzzt'_. He quickly finished up their goodbyes when suddenly he stopped and turned around at the front gate.

"Ayame-san, eating frozen food and cup noodles isn't always healthy and eating cereal isn't really a substantial meal so… Give me a call and I'll come over and cook something for you… if you want…" he said sounding less and less sure.

Ayame felt she needed to fidget to keep her wits about her. He really did have the most _gorgeous_ eyes. "Yeah I will. With someone who cooks food as heavenly as you, I wouldn't call anyone else"

* * *

 **In case you are wondering, the stuff about wormholes is from an interview with Steven Hawking or something like that, I can't remember because it's been a while since I last read it.**

 **I hope this chapter is continuing to build up your expectations :) I know some of you guys can't wait for Ayame & Co to meet the whole gang. But trust me, I've got something planned and it will be a twist you didn't see coming OH! Did I say encounter? No, I totally meant an everyday casual meeting... yes... I'm **_**sure...**_ **kekeke...**

 **Let me know what you guys thing, stay cool and I'll see everyone in 5 days' time.**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	6. Red String of Fate

_Chapter 6 – Red String of Fate_

* * *

Takumi wondered if this was what it was like to be boneless. He woke up late in the morning and didn't have the will nor the energy to get out of bed. The night before yesterday was like a blur, a very soft and hallucinogenic blur. He felt extremely odd throughout the last two days and he couldn't place his finger on the name of it. It pulled and tugged at his insides. It threatened to rip his chest to shreds and buckle his knees. At the same time, it was warm, soft and languid as if the rays from the heavens warmed him from the inside. He felt something immense inside himself. He remembered when he got back to the dormitory from Ayame-san's house two days ago, he had gone for another shower and then straight to bed. If he did anything else aside from showering and getting ready for bed, he couldn't remember. The only other thing he remembered were her words

' _That's exactly what she said… She wouldn't call anyone else but ME'_

Something overwhelmed him and he finally found the words to describe it. It was inexplicable joy. That's what it was. It was the same joy that was tearing him to pieces at the same time mending him.

He repeated the words over and over in his head like a prayer. The head-spinning excitement that threaded his blood stream was almost too much to bear. Yesterday, he was on a rampage in the kitchens cooking non-stop with boundless energy fueled by the words of the _bella_. He pushed and pushed to create the most delectable dishes feeling more invigorated than he had ever been. The other students didn't have time to breathe around him, let alone concentrate on their own cooking.

The blonde Italian rubbed his eyes and tucked his arm behind his head. He felt his face split into a smile. Even at night and in the mornings, it was pretty warm, so he made sure he wore light pyjamas in bed. He pushed his blanket so that it was half-way down his body and lifted his other arm in front of his face.

It was the same hand that held hers. They were soft and small compared to his larger and courser one.

He stifled a yawn and folded both hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers. His eyes drooped as he still felt a bit tired from yesterday and his head was still buzzing.

 _Bzzzt!_

Takumi reached for his phone without looking.

' _Ciao!_

 _Ah, it's called 'amore', brother :P I'm surprised  
that you would even ask me! Anyway, I can't  
wait to meet her when I get back. I expect the  
two of you to be together by then. No pressure haha.  
Mamma and Pappa appreciate the souvenirs,  
especially Nonna and Nonno. You didn't have  
to send it by express post, Mamma was only joking!_

 _-Isami._

WHAT.

Takumi flushed and flung his phone onto the other end of the bed. He curled himself into a tight ball and covered his golden hair with his arms.

' _Amore? Amore?! Is this what it was?!'_

Suddenly the vision of Ayame-san eating his pancakes was so vivid in his mind. He almost broke right then and there in front of her. He couldn't help himself and had probably looked like a fool. He couldn't blink, he couldn't tear his eyes away. Her face, the way she reacted, and the way she _moaned_ when devouring the hot pancakes elicited a pure picture of abandon and rapture when she closed her eyes, giving herself into the pancakes. Even when he mustered the strength to shut his eyes, her angelic voice was amplified as he couldn't see and it strove to drive him mad. It took him everything in his body to stop him from launching over the table and devour her in a searing kiss. A kiss that would tell her exactly how much she was affecting, ever since that day he saw her with a plate of _pana di casa_ with olive-oil and balsamic vinegar.

His body started feeling unbearably hot when his mind starting showing scenes of himself and Ayame-san kissing, imagining how succulent and soft those lips were. He could no longer fight his body's betrayal. His blood was pumping relentlessly through his body, _especially down below_. Takumi felt sick. He felt so dirty that his thoughts on Ayame-san easily turned down the road into indecency but his body didn't care and relinquished itself to it. He couldn't call himself a gentleman now. Was this what all men felt towards the women they ached for? It was absurd! His rational side tried to force the lid on his surge of hormones but it wasn't working.

Nothing was working anymore. Before he knew it, the _il sangue italiano_ made itself known. It was _his_ food in her mouth that filled her with passion and made him lose his mind. It was _his food_ that brought out the vixen from within her and made her succumb to the exquisite tastes. Not the _antipasti,_ not the _semi-freddo_ , not the coffee-hazelnut ice-cream.

It could only be his dishes. No other food would make him feel this way now, it wouldn't be enough. He wanted to see more. He wanted her to enjoy only _his food._

Takumi's head began to clear and all of a sudden the whole universe made sense to him, at least the things in the universe that mattered. His face stopped feeling hot, but his body hadn't calmed down yet.

" _Amore…"_

The image of her bright smile when she was talking _to him_ about wormholes and time travel took over his mind and drowned out his volcanic hormones. The happiness on her face and the way her sparkling verdant eyes lit up as she chattered non-stop about her interests filled him with a comforting warmth. He loved that. He loved that about her.

" _Lei mi piace…"_ he whispered again to the empty air.

Everything clicked into place. Why he was feeling this way whenever he was around her, whenever he thought of her.

It excited him and terrified him.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?!

Takumi had no experience with girls whatsoever, not even back in _Italia_.

He met her, he liked her and now the next step was trying to court her, right? That's what his _mamma_ would say. Or maybe there was another step he hadn't thought of… There was no way around it now. There was no point being tortured by these inescapable feelings if he could do something about it. He had no idea if she even felt anything towards him, but he could at least try. He rubbed his forehead. His head felt like it was screwed on too tight. His inner yearning will always be pining for her, forcing his body to go into meltdown, make him do stupid things in front of her to get her attention and won't stop until she was all his.

Takumi slammed his palm against the wall.

' _How did I get myself into this…'_

Something horrible resurfaced from his subconscious.

' _I know a few guys who would love to be that lucky'_ the unmistakable voice of Namikaze cackled in his ears.

His stomach churned. Did he stand any chance? Did those boys from Karakura High school compare to him? Even Namikaze said so herself that they were unworthy of the _bella_ , but how much could he trust her words? Jealousy bit at him, he was kind of ashamed to admit. Takumi sat up from his bed and folded his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. If Isami was here now, he would think he was brooding or sulking and try to pry him out of the room and throw him in the shower. Takumi had always been a sucker for competitions whether it be his _duello_ with Yukihira or a card-game with Isami. He was a sore loser when it came to those things, but he was determined he wasn't going to lose in this.

' _Bzzzt!'_

Takumi unfurled himself, still a bit frazzled and picked up his phone from where he threw it.

' _Hey Takumi-kun,_

 _I finally got over my post-traumatic stress disorder  
with the fish. In all the 11 dimensions, I still can't  
understand why it got soggy then exploded.  
Are you free today? I could do with a few tips  
from you and maybe have lunch together? _

_-Ayame_

Takumi's body was buzzing again. He was happy that she was still texting him to come join her, even after his debacle the last time he was there. He texted a quick reply that he would be there in an hour. He got up and made his way to the shower, turning on the cold tap first, because _Dio_ knew he needed it right now. After his shower, he picked his outfit for the day. He suddenly felt the urge to dress up a bit more. He selected a pair of skinny jeans, a simple dress shirt and another colour-coordinated waistcoat. He grabbed his fedora, keys and wallet.

One more thing. He grabbed his _Aldini_ apron from his closet too.

* * *

 _Knock, knock, knock_

"Coming!" Ayame finished washing her hands and briskly walked to the door. She opened it and was greeted by Takumi Aldini, just who she was waiting for.

" _Buon giorno"_ he said

For some reason he looked more … _shinier_ and dazzling. It was weird.

"Good morning to you too. This way! This way!" Ayame dragged him in by the wrist after he removed his shoes, excited to receive another cooking tutorial from him. She had been practicing pancakes the day before, just the way he had taught her and was very pleased to say that pancakes for breakfast lunch and dinner was her best decision ever! It didn't taste as good as Takumi-kun's but it was still light-years better than what she started with. She hoped her dad would like them too.

"I've bought some drink for us too. May I?" he said, holding up a plastic bag and pointing to the fridge.

"Aw, you didn't have to! Go ahead, you know about this kitchen a lot more than I do now" Ayame chuckled.

Takumi-kun chuckled too and it sounded a bit… different. After placing the drinks in the fridge, he went over to see what she had set out so far. She hoped she set it out right. Chefs on cooking shows seemed to be obsessed with displaying all their food and let the audience believe they could buy ingredients looking that perfect. He stood next to her and nodded.

"When frying fish, the cooking surface has to be hot enough to seal in the juices and brown the food. You need to heat the cooking surface on high for several minutes before adding the oil. You'll know that the pan is hot enough when a few drops of water thrown on the cooking surface skitter and evaporate quickly. Then you can add the oil. When it begins to shimmer and ripple slightly, or a few seconds later, add the fish. If you're using a non-stick pan, put the oil in the pan before you turn on the heat, as non-stick pans may release toxins when they're heated up empty" said Takumi-kun.

"You make it sound so simple…" Ayame pouted.

"It is simple, when you get the hang of it" Takumi took something else out of the bag and flapped it open. Ayame peaked from behind and was a bit surprised that he brought his own apron. The small embroidery for _Trattoria Aldini_ in cursive Roman alphabets made him look so much more like a professional chef. He didn't have to bring his own as she had spares, but seeing him in it made her appreciate his fine bearing a bit more. Or maybe it was just a man in an apron, cooking something that was appealing to her.

"So basically I didn't preheat the pan and the fish fillet turned soggy" confirmed Ayame.

" _Di preciso"_ Takumi-kun chuckled again "Come over here and I'll show you how to season the fish too"

"Hey, I know how to season fish, thank you very much!" Ayame feigned indignation beside him. She crossed her arms and also feigned a pointed look. Frying was the issue, not flavour.

"Then go on and show me" Takumi-kun pulled his hands away and stepped back.

Ayame stepped into his place and looked over the two pieces of fish fillet she bought from the market, estimating how much seasoning she might need. She spread butter over the fish and then sprinkled the mix of herbs and spices. She proceeded to smother the fish in it, copying the way she saw the cooking shows demonstrated. But she found it harder to do so with the expert chef watching her closely from the side.

"You're slapping the fish, Ayame-san. You need to be gentler otherwise you'll bruise the flesh and it'll fall apart in the pan" he said. "May I?"

"Alright. Go on" she smiled dejectedly. As she was about to step away, he quickly took her hands back and used them to gently massage the butter, herbs and spices into the fish fillet. He stood behind just like the way they were before when making pancakes. Takumi-kun continued to guide her hands into massaging the seasoning into the fish, making sure she flipped the fillets to thoroughly cover the flesh in every nook and cranny.

' _Wh-What is he doing?'_

Ayame blushed. This was exactly like that time the last time he was here. Her heat rate sped up just like she knew it would. This was the second time! It couldn't be a coincident, could it? Was this his way of showing that she had to learn-by-doing with him? She tried not to think too much over last time, but now it was getting rather difficult to think of anything else that was not as 'innocent' as she'd hoped. She was sure it wasn't normal to be standing in between a tutor-chef and the bench. She never saw that on cooking shows. It felt rather comfortable, as strange as that sounded, despite the unusual position. She might as well enjoy it. She immersed in the scent of spices and cedar and could feel her body relaxing as Takumi-kun worked her hands. He was silent throughout and all she could hear was the squelching of their hands on the fish fillet and his steady and low breathing.

His hands were so gentle and firm.

It felt like an eternity. Ayame bit her lip and wondered if the fish was seasoned enough yet, but Takumi still kept going, making sure he covered her hands along with the two fillets. She turned her head around and was about to ask him if the fillets should be fried yet but her words got stuck in her throat. His gaze was so intense. He switched to looking at her and she swore they were speaking to her, but had no idea what. The shape of his face was perfect in her eyes and there was not a single blemish or an oil spot on his pale skin. Her eyes dragged down to his lips which she noticed was _very_ close to her own. Time stopped. Her lips slightly parted as she drew closer to him. His eyes flickered down too, hot and smouldering…

' _Vorrrrp!'_

"Aya!"

The magic disappeared.

Both teens jumped on the spot and snapped their heads towards the offending object. It was her bloody phone! The screen was flashing with the name of someone who she wished could have texted at a better time. Takumi-kun removed himself quickly and washed his hands in the sink. She was instantly cold, her heady emotions tumbling in her head. Takumi-kun still didn't speak a word. Ayame bit her lip again wondering what the hell had just happen.

' _Oh god, his lips... Pure thoughts! Pure thoughts! Think of Non-Newtonian fluids!'_ she stamped on any inappropriate thoughts as soon as it formed.

She wiped her hands in the tea towel rather than use the tap. She quickly grabbed the fry pan and turned on the gas, keeping in mind the advice Takumi-kun had given her and letting it pre-heat with the oil first.

"A-are you umm… going to a-answer it?" he finally spoke at last. His voice sounded a bit broken up as if he needed a big glass of water.

"…No, it's alright. I'll text back later" she replied watching the pan.

 _Vorrrrp! Vorrrrp! Vorrrrp!_

"Whoever it is, it must be important" said Takumi-kun, bringing the two fish fillets over from the chopping board to the stove. Ayame couldn't look at him in the face. It just reminded her of their extra close proximity earlier. She didn't want him to see the redness she was absolutely sure was all over her face.

"Definitely not. It's just someone who doesn't know how to take the hint" she murmured.

"What?" Takumi-kun snapped his head back to her, his eyes wide and seeking answers from her own.

"So can I put the fish in the pan now?" she asked quickly.

Takumi-kun looked a bit perturbed but nodded his head. She was glad he didn't pursue the topic. She wouldn't know how to explain it to him and for some reason, she didn't want him to know the details. She picked up the end of the seasoned fillet and placed it gently in the pan one after the other and retracted her hands quickly to avoid oil splatter.

"Fish cooks quickly, so you want to turn down the heat a bit and sear it on the sides first. After that it will gently cook through and retain the juice and flavour and not turn dry as well. Keep a close watch on it" he said, handing her a pair of cooking tongs.

' _Vorrrrp!'_

Ayame sighed. Takumi-kun left the stove and started going around cleaning up the bench while she stood sentry on the fish and ready to turn it on Takumi-kun's instructions. She made it soggy last time, she damn well better not burn it this time, because she was out of ice. After ten minutes of following his instructions, Takumi-kun deemed the fish ready for plating and she excitedly switched off the gas and carefully lifted the fish with the tongs and gently placed it on the plate. Takumi-kun sprinkled some parsley and grated some lemon zest over it. Again he did it with ease, as light as a feather. She could watch him garnish things all day. Next he cut the lemon and squeezed some of the juice over it. Ayame skipped over to where she left the washed salad greens and started arranging it over their plates and gathering the forks and knives. The zingy lemon and the mixed aroma of spices were gorgeous!

Takumi-kun took off and folded away his apron before he went over to the fridge and brought over the drinks. How did he know! It was ice lemon-peach tea, her favourite. Both settled down into their seats and said a quick ' _Itadakimasu'_ and he said grace in Italian. Ayame was about to put the first forkful of fish when her phone went off again.

She groaned in an unlady-like fashion. She placed her fork down and sent a quick reply, tapping angrily on the button before flipping it closed with a loud snap and placing it away from her reach. Takumi-kun looked at her with confusion.

"Is everything alright?" he asked after swallowing his first bite.

Ayame smiled and nodded her head. As she placed the first morsel in her mouth, all the troubles of the world flew away. It was absolutely delicious!

"Just a guy from school named Izumo-san, who had been bothering me for a while. I've told him a few times that I'm not keen on going out with him, but he doesn't seem to get it" she continued to eat her fish, humming between mouthfuls.

Takumi-kun stabbed his salad.

"Takumi-kun, this is amazing! I never knew the way you seasoned it could make such a big difference! The fish is so juicy too" Ayame rubbed her thighs together, she couldn't get enough of how good such a simple dish was.

"You did a good job frying it and that's the most important part" he smiled at her. Takumi-kun had a very red blush on his face and if Ayame didn't know any better, she could've sworn that he was constantly throwing her glances. She hoped that she didn't look too grubby at home or something, it was so easy to forget that others weren't used to seeing one in home-clothes.

"Has he been bothering you for long?" Takumi-kun pointed his fork at her phone, his tone had a hint of scorn which made Ayame a bit worried.

"Towards the end of semester. Not long" she replied. The atmosphere was dampening because of this stupid topic. She quickly tried to think of something that could take the edge off. So far her mind was full of science and time-travel… ugh, she needed conversational cue cards.

"Men shouldn't do things like that if the lady isn't reciprocating" he muttered.

"They sure don't" she said offhandedly.

"What about your father? He's part of the police department, maybe he could do something to send him away?" he asked again.

 _"Otou-san's_ in the police, not part of a mafia, Takumi-kun" Ayame chuckled "I'm starting to wonder if your family has ties with any"

"It was j-just a suggestion! I'm positive that we don't! …I think" he said looking away from her.

Takumi-kun looked like he was slightly brooding as he ate his fish and Ayame never liked to see him look so down because it was like looking at a kicked puppy. She could tell this topic was bothering him very much for some reason he kept prodding further. How strange.

 _"Otou-san_ is way too busy with his work. He even sleeps over at the precinct just so that he could co-ordinate teams on tough cases, or even manage cases himself that are too hard for the others. I don't want to distract him from his investigations" said Ayame.

"If anyone's bothering you… you know I'm just a phone call away… right?" he looked up at her and his face had a light dusting of pink along his cheeks.

"Haha, it's good to know there's someone I could turn to" she smiled at him, continuing to eat her fish.

Takumi-kun's eyes darted back down to his. "But anyway, you're not interested in dating… at all, are you?" he said, taking a slow sip from his drink, his eyes focused to the side.

Ayame hummed a bit "I wouldn't say that. Everyone has a Mrs. Right and a Mr. Right out there for them"

"I-I see, that's true. So… uh, what kind of guy w-will make the r-right one for you?"

Takumi-kun was sounding less and less relaxed by the second. A pregnant pause that had time enough to turn a bit awkward settled between them. What could she even say? He didn't have to keep going with this conversation if he didn't want to and Ayame was sure he was the type of person to stop doing something if it was making him uncomfortable. But it was too late to switch the topic now, or _not_ answer, that would be rude as hell and clearly obvious make his questions very awkward. She decided to answer the best as she could.

"Well like, s-sweet, kind and caring. Someone who won't mind all my q-quirks and techno-babble too. I l-love learning new things, especially to do with ph-physics, mechanical things and robotics, so I hope he wouldn't be intimidated or… find it u-unfeminine. Love me for who I am, of course. Someone I could turn to for comfort when things get stressful or painful and vice versa. Oh and most definitely be able to handle Chizuru-chan and _Otou-san"_

Takumi-kun looked like he almost choked on his salad from the last bit of her sentence, but recovered in a blink of an eye.

"I'm sure there's someone out there that fits the description perfectly. And even if they don't, I'm sure they will do their very best to try to" he smiled at her. He picked up his glass of peach-lemon tea and swirled it in his hand, the ice clinking on the sides.

' _Yeah, it'd be great if he was an amazing chef who cooks Italian food too'_ Ayame thought smiling into her drink, trying to hide her blush.

* * *

"That is basically fucking food foreplay!" Chizuru-chan laughed hysterically.

"That's not funny…" Ayame sighed.

"Come on, I don't even need to read the subtext here to know that _Romeo_ is head over heels in love with you" she said balancing her bright red slushie drink in her palms as she walked dangerously on the edge of the footpath. "Italians can be very forward in their affections you know"

"I did think that it was unusual for him to be that close to me or _touch_ me like that while we're cooking together. Learning to cook is a very hands-on thing though, so that's probably why. But you still shouldn't stereotype people" said Ayame as an afterthought.

"Ayame-chan, you were snapping your fingers and he comes running. Do you know how freaking far Tootsuki is from your place? It must've taken him an _hour_ to get ready and then travel, and for guys that's a bloody long time"

"I only texted him to ask if he wanted to come. I didn't demand he had to" Ayame shot back at her.

"You wouldn't ask if you thought he was going to say 'no'. Anyway, how did he react when you talked about wormholes?" Chizuru-chan asked, sipping her slushie drink.

"Oh yeah, that was when we were making pancakes. He just asked more questions and assured me that he liked listening to it, although I could barely believe him" said Ayame. She stopped in the middle of the footpath and faced her best friend "Do you suppose… maybe he likes me too?" she inquired, trying hard to no let her voice waver.

"I don't _suppose_ anything. I can see it plain as day that, yes, he likes you, especially the way he was so fidgety and nervous that time we went to _Meshina_ " her best friend said nonchalantly stopping in the middle of the footpath too.

"AHA! So there was something going on when I went to the bathroom! What did you say?" Ayame folded her arms together and tapped her foot against the pavement.

"Nothing unusual, just that if he ever hurt you I would break his legs. Or was it punch his dick with a cactus? I sometimes forget" Chizuru-chan slurped on her icy drink.

"Seriously?! Why did you say that for?" Ayame couldn't believe what she was hearing. Chizuru-chan had already made threats to him and they only met a few times! Her friend was incredibly infuriating when she wanted to be.

"Relax, I had to make everything crystal clear for him. He said that he would never, and that he would always treasure you if he could" she said slyly.

"What… he did?" Ayame didn't think he would say something like that. She had expected he would say something like he wasn't interested in her at all and stuff, but to hear that straight from Chizuru-chan's mouth? Chizuru-chan was a brutally honest and blunt individual. She had no causes to lie for anything when it came to her friends, except for mischief. She couldn't be a double-spy even if she wanted to. Now that she thought about it, Chizuru-chan would have no qualms for lying straight to a stranger's face… Also she never passed up an opportunity to make a double-edged remark on Takumi-kun no matter how much Ayame shot her back down into her box.

"Sure did. He was so adorable, like a baby beetroot" Chizuru-chan giggled.

"Chizuru-chan. I really like him and I don't want our friendship to go sour because I'm not reading the signs properly" Ayame knitted her brows.

"It'll be fine"

"Do you think I have a shot with him?" Ayame looked at her best friend earnestly.

"He is the one guy who has _ever_ asked you about wormholes. If that isn't saying something. I don't know what is" Chizuru-chan went over and gave her a hug "And I hope he knows that the Kuchiyose-kun and I come as a package deal with you" she snickered and swung her arm over Ayame's neck. They both continued strolling, on their long and sunny walk to the Tsubakidai Park in Sakurabashi ward.

Ayame had known for long time ago that she was smitten with Takumi-kun. She wasn't sure exactly when, but it didn't matter anymore. She had always told herself that it was preposterous that she would be attracted to someone as vibrant, stunning and talented as he was so quickly! She had always been an over-cautious person, calculating things to the ninth decimal when time allowed and double-checked and triple-checked everything. That was, anything unrelated to cooking because that blew shit out the window for her. Initially she thought it was probably because of his charm and good looks like typical girls fell for. She made sure to check all the parameters. However, the more she talked to him and get to know him, it wasn't that at all. Sure it was those superficial qualities that captured her visual attention, but it was his passion, dreams and great aspirations that really hit the nail on the head for her. That fateful day when she left her physics dictionary behind at the cafe had brought him into her life and she didn't know what she could have done to deserve meeting someone amazing, well-mannered, passionate, talented in cooking and handsome. In her eyes, he became more than a bit of eye-candy. It was more, he was so endearing and sweet to her when she was going through a phase of techno-babble. He hadn't made fun or ignored her like the rest. She melted when she was with him. Those intimate touches in the kitchen sent rockets to her nerves, but she hadn't been quite sure it was anything _significant_ on his part.

But that day when frying fish together... his lips were so close...

 _'Could Chizuru-chan right? Could he be… as well?'_

She had no reason to believe she had qualities he would find attractive in her. She was a school nerd and she was a pedantic study freak. She went to public lectures in her free time for goodness sake! She toyed with circuit boards and built toy robots from kits, she needed some social cues to close her mouth when techno-babbling for too long, she was a horrible cook, she had two weirdos for friends, AND the icing on the cake:

 _Otou-san_ was the Superintendent General of the TMPD. In short, he commanded the whole department along with the eight different bureaus, a big bunch of district headquarters and over forty thousand police officers. The only two people he answered to was the chairman of the National Police Safety Commission and _Okaa-san_.

Her family background was enough to send boys running to the hills to book flights to get the hell out of Japan, but not Takumi-kun. In fact, he didn't seem to have any flaming idea of the gravity of the position her father carried. The entire Tokyo's law enforcement was in his palm. Takumi-kun probably heard the word 'police' and that was enough for him. Ayame planned to keep it that way.

When Takumi-kun asked her about her interest in dating, she literally didn't know what to say. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression at all and the constant texting from Izumo-san certainly didn't help. She didn't want to hope that there was jealousy in his eyes or tone, because that would be completely wrong of her.

Her stomach felt queasy.

He was training in a demanding and famous culinary school and she was studying to get into Toudai to become an engineer. They had vastly different dreams, almost at opposite poles. Were they even suited for each other? She and Takumi-kun were goal focused people in a fast moving and demanding world. Someone who was as passionate as him in being a chef will always put his cooking dreams first. Deep in her heart, she knew she would want to put her career in the mechanical engineering first too…

' _Even if we did… is there a chance in making any potential relationship work?'_

"Did your dad like the pancakes and fried fish?" asked Chizuru-chan, snapping her out of her thoughts. Ayame was glad for Chizuru-chan stopping her from sinking into the abyss of her mind.

"I could _tell_ he did even if he didn't want to say it. He said he couldn't believe that I would make something that tasted better than cardboard. Which is a good thing, it means that he approves of it and that's all that matters. _Otou-san_ always gripes so it's no biggy" Ayame smiled and skipped along the pavement.

"Your dad's backhanded compliments are the worst. He's always in a foul mood. I'm astounded there are some officers willing to work under him" Chizuru-chan mumbled.

"That's because he's the best in what he does!" Ayame stuck her tongue out at her, eliciting another smirk from the sunglasses-toting girl. "By the way, Takumi-kun gave me some passes to visit Tootsuki earlier in the week. Want to come?" she asked.

Chizuru-chan slid her sunglasses down her nose and looked at Ayame over the rims. "What for?"

"He said he would like to give me a tour and that there was someone he wanted me to meet who could show me some of the mechanical and technological advancements in the world of molecular gastronomy. Some cutting-edge stuff!"

"Geez… the subtext is in capslock…"

"What was that?" Ayame didn't quite catch Chizuru-chan's mumbling.

"Nothing. Have you asked Kuchiyose-kun yet?" Chizuru-chan finished the rest of her slushie drink and threw the plastic cup in the bin.

"I'll text him later. He usually naps during this time" said Ayame "I know you're not really into foodie culture and stuff, but I think it'll be good for you to go. Who knows, you might end up enjoying it" Ayame said, hoping that she was encouraging enough.

"I don't see the point, but when you look at me like that, it makes me want to be nice to children. Okay, I'll go"

" _Yosh_! We're meeting up at the Tootsuki gates at nine o'clock tomorrow!" Ayame bounced up and down excitedly.

"That early on a Monday? Give me a break…" Chizuru-chan groaned.

"You already said yes, so you can't take it back!" Ayame laughed.

The two friends finally made it to Tsubakidai Park and went to sit on the swings and continued to talk about nothing and everything together.

* * *

 **I re-read all my chapters and I noticed my choice of words: In the flipping pancake scene I typed "Takumi** _ **jerked**_ **her hands..." and in this scene it was "** _ **worked**_ **her hands..." Hmmmm...**

 **Takumi finally had an epiphany! I couldn't keep him in denial for too long, not when Isami is teasing him via texting. Smooth move Romeo... what a backward way of trying to find out if Ayame is single. Hopeless, I tell you...**

 **Thanks for sticking around everyone! I hope you've enjoyed the chapter and once again, shoot me a review and let me know what you guys think, love to hear some!**

 **Get ready for the Tootsuki visit in 5 days!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	7. Welcome to Tootsuki!

_Chapter 7_ _–_ _Welcome to Tootsuki!_

* * *

Takumi waited by the Tootsuki gates patiently. The bright day called for his best black waistcoat over a simple grey dress shirt and grey skinny jeans. He had spent a little extra time in front of the mirror today to make sure he looked absolutely presentable. This included making sure his hair fell the right way, he exfoliated and moisturised his skin, and ironed his clothes. Basically everything an Italian man ought to do to groom oneself. He peered out into the distance, down the never-ending avenue, detecting some chattering coming closer.

It was them.

The _bella_ had texted him yesterday to tell him that she was bringing her friends over too. He didn't mind Kuchiyose, as he didn't say anything and he wasn't _too_ weird. But he wished the _chiacchierone_ could just stay home. He didn't want to risk another humiliating experience with her or even lay eyes on that shit-eating grin. Takumi stewed over the fact that Namikaze made him want to break from his polite and courteous self.

"Hi!" Ayame-san waved as they made their way over to him.

Takumi pushed himself off the wall and met them part of the way. He reached for Ayame-san's hand and planted a soft kiss to her knuckles, giving her his most charming smile. It made him happy to see her blush adorably as she tried to suppress her own infectious grin.

" _Buon giorno_. You look beautiful today _"_ He said appreciatively at her.

"Thanks, Takumi-kun. It's refreshing to be called 'beautiful' every now and then." Ayame-san chuckled like wind chimes.

' _I would tell you every hour of the day if it didn't sound too creepy'_ Takumi mused.

"You look handsome as always" said Ayame-san, teasingly earning a rapid blush from him and a stuttered _'Grazie'_.

Takumi bestowed a casual _'Hi'_ to Namikaze who responded likewise and went back to concentrating on looking for Kuchiyose, his figure looming in the distance.

He allowed his eyes to swiftly look at Ayame-san up and down, whilst Namikaze's head was turned away. She was wearing a black and billowy knee length T-shirt. It had a scoop neck and small white bicycle patterns and she was also wearing a white singlet underneath. She wore light blue jeans that were fashionably torn at the knees and donned pair of low heeled ankle boots. He noticed that her hair was again put in a loose French braid to the side, with a few tresses loose to frame her lovely face. She brought with her a small yellow leather handbag with a long shoulder strap.

"Hurry up Kuchiyose-kun!" Namizake cupped her hands around her mouth and bellowed down the avenue.

Kuchiyose's hazel eyes held the same level of emotion as the first time they met, but they were looking around with mild interest. He was quite a good-looking boy, but he would've been more so if he didn't look so deadpanned all the time. Once he arrived with the girls, Takumi shook his hand and they both nodded in greeting. So far so good.

"Welcome to Tootsuki" said Takumi excitedly. He lead them into the campus and started with a brief introduction to the school, which got Ayame-san nodding and smiling. He couldn't say for the other two because Namikaze's eyes were hidden behind her really big fashionable sunglasses and Kuchiyose carried the same expression.

"Are there any clubs?" asked Ayame-san when they were walking through the main building.

" _Si,_ We have many. There's the Spanish Cuisine Research Society or RS, Donburi RS _,_ Chocolate RS, Chinese Cuisine RS, Skewer's RS, Local Cuisine RS and many more" said Takumi.

"Amazing. Are you in a research society too?"

 _"Non,_ Isami and I aren't really interested. We just want to concentrate on getting better together" he scratched the back of his head. He noticed up ahead was one of the kitchen halls.

"These are our kitchens" Takumi stepped aside to let his guests through. "It's where all the practical classes take place. There are fifty kitchen halls in total and they each can hold up to sixty students"

"Wow, everything in the school looks so intense" said Ayame-san. Her eyes swept over the big room and even Namikaze's eye's slightly opened in awe, now that she removed her sunglasses.

"And rolling in money" Namikaze added. Well, he couldn't fault her there.

"All the kitchens look relatively the same, so we'll skip the rest. Come, I'll show you the classrooms" said Takumi. He led the way into another part of the building, which started to look a little bit similar to a normal Japanese school corridor however it was a bigger. He opened one of the classroom doors and stepped aside.

"Oh my gosh! It's so huge. It's almost like _Toudai"_ Ayame-san ran in with her arms out stretched. She spun around as if she was trying to physically garner the enormous size of the lecture hall.

Namikaze stepped inside to and joined her friend. They started talking about differences between Karakura high school and Tootsuki. Takumi turned to Kuchiyose. He stood outside like a vampire waiting to be invited into someone's house... Was there something wrong? Takumi never knew what was going on in his head, but Ayame-san didn't seem to sense there was something out of the ordinary with him. Perhaps looking at lecture halls wasn't particularly exciting to him.

Takumi cleared his throat and tried to think of what to say "So how was soccer camp?"

Kushiyose shrugged his shoulders and turned his head away. Interacting with his silent giant was going to be harder than he thought.

"Where to next?" Namikaze sprang out from the door with Ayame-san in tow. She looked like she was enjoying herself very much. He was glad.

"Next is the spice seminar. It's one of the classes I'll be taking next semester. The winner of last year's Autumn Elections is a residential assistant to the professor there" said Takumi.

"So what should we be expecting at the spice seminar?" asked Ayame-san, her eyes twinkling.

"A _shokugeki_ " Takumi smirked at her.

* * *

 _Knock, Knock._

"About time Aldini, I was starting to wonder when you'd get here"

Last year's Autumn Elections triumphant winner revealed himself from the door way, casually leaning back to allow Takumi and his little tour group to enter the seminar room. Hayama Akira was dressed down today, like every other student. He wore his usual grey, short sleeved, striped grand-dad shirt and brown trousers. His hair was tied off in his usual lazy pony tail also.

 _"Scusa._ Everyone, this is Hayama Akira, a fellow second year student and this is Kanda Ayame, Namikaze Chizuru and Kuchiyose Byakko" Takumi politely introduced everyone to the dark and handsome spice expert.

Hayama politely shook everyone's hand. "I specialise in curry and spices. I'm the assistant to Shiomi Jun, the leading spice researcher of Japan. She's over there sleeping off her hangover" he said, pointing a softly snoring bundle on the sofa.

"Err… will we be too noisy for her?" Namikaze asked suspiciously.

"No, I already gave her something for it. She'll be fine. I can't carry her to her private room because she's heavier than what she used to be. Don't let her size full you" Hayama flipped the issue off like it was nothing. Diligent as always in taking care of his professor's needs… when he wanted to…

"I wished Takumi-kun told me I'd be meeting such an esteemed person as you. Then I would've done my research and have some questions prepared" said Ayame-san sheepishly.

Takumi smiled to himself. Where was the element of surprise if he told her everything? He decided to take a back seat in this part of the tour, allowing Hayama to do whatever he was going to do that they had agreed on.

"That's alright, I can demonstrate all you need to know about curry and spices" said Hayama, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"So, is there going to be a _shokugeki_?" asked Namikaze.

"Umm… yeah, but my challenger is late as well…" Hayama shook his head and sighed.

 _"I'M HERE DOUCHE FACE!"_

Takumi narrowly dodged the door as it was kicked open by a heavy, combat-boot clad foot. The deafening bang resonated around the whole room causing everyone to jump up in shock and the sleeping professor to snort in her sleep.

It was Mito Ikumi. The incredibly buxom chef was clad in the skimpiest of her bikinis and the shortest of shorts. Her choice of attire was beyond Takumi's reasoning, but he wasn't about to tell her how she should dress because he didn't want to get his teeth kicked in. She had her 'meat carving' knife, her 'boning' knife, her 'breaking knife' and her 'flanking & shoulder' knife on every limb. She was certainly prepared for a battle.

"Eh? Takumi-san's guests are already here? Damn, I was late" said Mito-san, snapping her fingers.

"What the hell, Mito. Don't go destroying the seminar room, just because you got downgraded to Don RS last year" Hayama scolded her, veins pulsing on his temple while keeping a relatively calm exterior.

"Hey! Don't talk shit about Dons RS!"

"Yes I will, because Jun's seminar is the best. Pray tell why you are late anyway" Hayama huffed.

"W-well… b-because. I got a postcard today a-and I wanted to r-read it first…" she shuffled her feet anxiously. "Oh ah… my bad, leaving that aside, my name is Mito Ikumi. I specialise in all things meat. You guys must be Takumi-san's guests" Mito-san held her hand out with over flowing confidence to Ayame-san and she took it excitedly.

"I'm Kanda Ayame. It's an honour to meet another specialist in their field." She beamed at Mito-san, probably inflating her already huge ego.

"I'm Namikaze Chizuru and this is Kuchiyose Byakko" Namikaze jumped in from the side, wrenching Ayame hands away before Ikumi-san's own hand broke off.

The Meat General greeted them too and shook Kuchiyose's large hand gingerly, a faint blush adorning her face as she tried to avoid making eye contact.

"So should we get the _shokugeki_ started or what?" said Hayama sarcastically from the side, tapping his foot after donning his black apron.

"RIGHT! I'm going to prove to you that Don RS is the best RS here!" Mito-san brandished one of her knives at him, her combative nature exploding on point.

"You'll eat your words when you recognise that I'm your superior" said Hayama confidently. He turned to Ayame-san's crew "You guys are assigned as judges to see whose dish is better" he smirked.

"What! We get to be the taste-testing judges?! You're not joking?" Ayame-san stumbled towards Takumi taking him by surprise and shoving her face in his for desperate confirmation. He was just relaxing not too far away, happy to not get in the way of Hayama and Ikumi-san, so he blushed beet red with her face was suddenly so close to his.

"S-Surprise?" Takumi shrugged his shoulder, looking away and coughing into his fist.

"Alright now, stakes are you hand over to me the best of your prime cut for free if I win" declared Hayama, that sickening hubris coating his words.

"And If I win, you have to surrender your collection of best spice blends" Ikumi-san placed her hands on her hips, cocking it out to the side with sinister confidence.

"Deal" said Hayama stepping behind one of the cooking stations whilst Ikumi-san did the same.

"The theme will _**crêpe**_ " he said. "One-hour limit. Let's begin"

* * *

It had to be a cooking battle of the century. And this was a _holiday._ Ayame had been thoroughly convinced that Takumi was the best of the best she had seen, but she had no idea that other students in the school would be at _this level_. She watched mesmerised as Hayama-san grabbed bottles of spice after spice without even looking and sprinkled them in with meticulous measure. The captivating smell of chilli, cumin, turmeric, paprika and clove overwhelmed her plebeian senses. It was like the scent of spices grew sentient and stroked her nostrils, promising it's exquisite flavours.

On the other hand, Mito-san was absolutely savage, the way she sliced up meat for her _crêpe_. It was like a ghoulish glee she possessed when the sight of fresh blood seeping from the meet touched her fingers. Even the way she licked her lips when prodding the sizzling meat to test its juiciness sent chills up Ayame's spine. She wasn't a person to take lightly and looked to be a strong opponent despite her over-zealous attire. The delectable smell of frying slices of beef delicately seasoned, made her stomach grumbled. She should've eaten more than cereal this morning.

Takumi-kun called the time and they both finished.

"All done! Eat it and weep. This is my sizzling beef _crêpe_ _donburi!_ " Mito-san was the first to step forward and placed a bowl in front of Chizuru-chan, Kuchiyose-kun and herself.

"For real? _crêpe donburi? crêpe_ on rice? You guys are breaking serious boundaries" Chizuru-chan appraised the steaming bowl of sizzling beef _crêpe_ _donburi_.

"Dig in guys, don't hold back" Mito-san smirked.

And so they did. The godliness of the perfectly seared beef slices tantilised her tongue. The steaming _crêpe_ delicately wrapped around the rice like a _donburi_ parcel was super interesting, but for some reason it worked really well. The light silkiness of the _crêpe_ and its crisp edges were the perfect textures to die for! It looked like Mito-san opted for the simplistic tastes of soy sauce, garlic, onion and pepper to showcase the delicate flavours of the super-expensive looking slices of _kobe_ she was using. She sighed breathlessly. Ayame looked over to Kuchiyose-kun.

' _What the heck! He's already done!'_

Kuchiyose-kun placed his chopstick over the empty bowl and leaned back, his face not giving anything away, except the twinkling of pleasure in his eyes. Ayame looked over to Chizuru-chan. She was steadily eating her serving like any _donburi_ , but she looked like she was enjoying it more than she expected. She and Chizuru-chan finished up their dishes and she couldn't wait to try Hayama-san's.

"Here's my dish. It's Malaysian beef curry _crêpe_ " said Hayama-san with conviction, gentling placing his dish before them. "Enjoy".

Ayame was on the verge of drooling. The magical aroma of spices caressed her nose once again. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was pungent enough to whet her appetite to its fullest. Her hands shook as she cut into the _crêpe_ and it oozed out a glistening, thick curry sauce, coating little diced beef. She took a mouthful and the flavours struck her full force. _Flavour overload!_ It was perfectly spicy. It was delicious. It was… _indescribable_.

Ayame looked over to Chizuru-chan, now eating the _crêpe_ faster than she did for the _donburi_. She turned to Kuchiyose-kun so see that he was already finished and just leaning back in his seat. He certainly was easy to please.

"Time to vote guys" said Mito-san.

Ayame hated disappointing people when both their dishes were superb, but what could she do when one dish was knocked out of the ball park?

"Hayama-san" said Ayame

"Curry _crêpe_ " said Chizuru-chan.

"…" Kuchiyose pointed to Hayama-san's empty plate.

"Your best prime cut can be delivered anytime this week, Mito" Hayama triumphantly smirked at her who was sulking in the corner. The unanimous vote looked like it crippled the life out of her.

"I'm confused. The whole time you were cooking, you didn't look inside your pot _once_. Isn't it a rule for all chefs to taste test along the way?" asked Chizuru-chan quizzically, still dipping her fork in the curry sauce and licking it nonchalantly.

"Yeah, tasting your cooking as you go is a rule of thumb. But I don't need to because I have this" he pointed to his nose with his thumb.

Ayame didn't get it.

Hayama didn't disappoint when he explained "I have the sharpest sense of smell around. I know the exact conditions of every pot just from the smell of the ingredients _alone_ , therefore I don't need to actually taste to know what they taste like"

"No way…" breathed out Chizuru-chan.

"One thing hits your sense before all else. Before the taste… before even the presentation… after the last bite has been chewed and swallowed, that one thing lingers on. _That's the scent._ To command the kitchen, you must command scent. In other words, the one who will be at the top of the school, is _me_ " Hayama pinned an electrifying smirk in Takumi-kun's and Mito-san's direction.

Suddenly the air felt frosty as Ayame had never seen such a cold determination in Takumi-kun's arctic blue eyes directed back at Hayama-san. It was clear there was some tremendous rivalry there. So it wasn't just Yukihira-san and Mimasaka-san he marked in his book.

"For example. Tell me, what spices do you taste in my dish?" asked Hayama-san looking in Chizuru-chan's direction, since she was the one still lapping up the sauce.

She stopped and panic overtook her expression.

"Uhh… chilli…?" she said.

"What else?" Hayama-san pressed his palm on the table in front of her and leaned forward, making Chizuru-chan lean backwards in tandem.

Her best friend blushed brightly and flustered under Hayama-san's sharp, green gaze. Chizuru-chan threw her a dreadful, horrified look from the corner of her eyes, silently screeching for help because she was too stumped to think when the tall, dark, handsome male was leaning over her.

"There's turmeric, clove, paprika and cumin. Right?" Ayame jumped in without missing a beat. Hayama-san switched his attention to Ayame and stopped leaning over Chizuru-chan, allowing her to sink discretely in her chair and sigh in relief.

"Correct. You could smell each one, can you?"

"Um, I can't differentiate all of them. But I can see the labels on your bottles" Ayame shyly pointed to his kitchen station where all his ingredients lined up with an embarrassed grin.

The spice master just huffed and shook his head before continuing "Each spice has their own properties that either blend very well, or conflict with other spices to create unique flavours. Also each spice has a specific heating time and intensity that is perfect for releasing the best of their fragrance or enhancing their flavours. All of this, my nose allows me to discern with impeccable accuracy" Hayama-san pointed to his nose again, a smug smile gracing his lips.

"Yeah yeah, whatever Hayama" Mito-san recovered from her loss. "I'm sure Takumi-san has other places to show Kanda-san and her friends. Am I right?" she blushed, still feeling the sting of her defeat and anxiously rubbed her arms.

Takumi-kun on the side checked his watch and nodded in agreement.

"Your dish was absolutely beautiful too Mito-san" Ayame got out of her chair to go over to her and gave her a hug, shocking the girl. "I'd love to have more if I ever come back to visit" she assured her. Mito-san nodded shyly at her.

Ayame was glad the talented meat specialist didn't feel too down in her loss but considering they all went to a highly competitive school, everyone must have learnt to bounce back and not dwell on losses for too long. She went to thank Hayama-san also and Kuchiyose-kun went to give both him and Mito-san a handshake. She had to elbow Chizuru-chan to properly thank them, before she darted elsewhere.

Suddenly, Hayama-san bent over and whispered in her ear.

"Hey, your friend over there, Namikaze right? What kind of food does she eat?" he leaned back waiting patiently for her answer.

Ayame smelt a distinctly strong cinnamon scent coming from him. It was pleasant enough. She looked over to find Chizuru-chan starting to pick a fight with Kuchiyose-kun and Takumi-kun was trying to calm her down. Ayame turned back around to Hayama-san. What an odd question…

"She likes very spicy food. Why?"

"No reason" he shrugged, releasing his ponytail. "She didn't look like she _fully_ enjoyed or understood any of the dishes. Since she likes spicy food, and I'm the resident expert, just thought maybe next time I could make something that tastes spicier if she comes back"

"Oh okay then… That's generous of you" said Ayame slowly.

"Don't get me wrong. It just unsettles me if my food isn't perfection to my customers' palate… nothing more" said Hayama-san, crossing his arms over his chest, looking towards his sleeping professor. She sure didn't wake up for anything... especially with all this commotion happening.

Ayame was confident he meant exactly what he said and she went back over to her group of friends. Takumi-kun suggested the three went ahead and wait for him outside, as he wanted to have a few words with his two amazing classmates. Soon they exited the premises together, their bellies full with an awesome brunch.

"Thanks so much for taking us around. It's really exciting. What's next?" she beamed at Takumi-kun as they walked together back towards the main building.

"Uh… Next is the Polar Star Dorms" said Takumi-kun.

* * *

"Welcome to Polar Star Dorms!" Ayame-san and Megumi-san repeatedly bowed to each other. They looked like they were about to become fast friends.

"My name is Tadokoro Megumi and this is where I live while studying at Tootsuki" she gestured to the grand, vine covered dormitory building.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kanda Ayame and these are my friends, Namikaze Chizuru and Kuchiyose Byakko"

"Yo!"

"..."

"Nice to meet you too" Megumi-san bowed again, eliciting a reflexive one from each person "Come inside for a drink, you guys must be thirsty" she said, ushering everyone out of the sun.

Takumi's little group broke out into a murmur on how great the dormitory looked. They looked around from the plush carpet all the way to the big staircase. Megumi-san continued to usher them into the dining room and ran to grab some drinks from the kitchen. Takumi went over to Ayame-san and pulled out a seat for her.

"I hope everyone likes chilled barley tea" said Megumi-san who came back toting a tray of cups and a chilled jug of the delicious caramel-coloured tea, he had the fortune of trying before, serving everyone with grace.

Takumi was once more indebted to Megumi-san who was generous enough to welcome his guests and agreed to show them the Polar Star plantations. She had accepted immediately, probably guessing that he was going to bring and introduce Ayame-san to the place. Takumi had tried to play it down, but the knowing look on her face when he asked the favour told him the country bumpkin was excited to find out what kind of girl he chose.

"Thanks, any cold drink is fine by me" said Namikaze sipping on her tea.

Kuchiyose nodded his thanks and drank his tea silently.

"You just got back from Hayama-kun's residence right? How was the _shokugeki_?" asked Megumi-san.

"It was absolutely magnificent! The food both he and Mito-san made were wonderful. I'm just stoked that this school is full of shining talent. They made a Malaysian beef curry _crêpe_ and a sizzling beef _crêpe donburi_ " said Ayame-san smiling.

"Wow, who won?" asked Megumi-san.

"Hayama-san's Malaysian beef curry _crêpe_ was the sure fire winner" chuckled Ayame.

"I would expect as much, although Ikumi-san is a brilliant chef also" everyone around the table nodded in agreement. "So how did you four meet?" Megumi-san asked looking back and forth at Ayame-san, Namikaze, Kuchiyose and himself.

"I left my physics dictionary at a local cafe and Takumi-kun found it and was kind enough to return it to me at my high school, which is Karakura High" Ayame said happily.

"Oh that's cute" Megumi-san commented, giving Takumi a sidelong look of approval, not that he needed her approval for anything.

"Then I introduced him to my friends too" she continued, sipping her chilled barely tea.

"Ah! Are you by any chance the same girl who gave him _that_ keychain?" Megumi-san's eye's lit up.

Takumi began to feel a bit hot under the collar.

"Hmm? Oh yes, I did give him a keychain" said Ayame-san happily.

"I didn't get a closer look at it because Aldini-kun had already taken it apart and pinned it to his chef's uniform"

"Chef's uniform?" Ayame-san turned to him quizzically.

"Uh... yeah, so it's like a g-good luck charm that I a-always keep on me for when I'm cooking and training..." Takumi buried his face in his cup.

"I hope that it'll actually be useful" Ayame-san smiled shyly at him. His heart skipped a beat. She really was stunning in more ways than one.

" _Ano_ Namikaze-san, do you have any interests?" Megumi-san asked politely, turning the conversation to the other two like a good host.

"Yep. Have you heard of League of Legends?" she replied.

"I can't say I have. What is it?" she replied, looking into the air to see if it rang any bells.

"It's a multiplayer online battle arena, real-time strategy computer game. I play regularly. I wouldn't call myself a casual gamer because I enter in gaming competitions with my team sometimes. But probably serious enough to be damn good" she said, crunching on left over ice in her drink before

"Wow that sounds exciting, even though I know nothing of the sort" she replied and chuckled politely trying to refill Namikaze's drink.

"That's alright, I don't expect you to" The midget nodded in thanks and continued sipping.

Takumi thanked the Roman gods for Namikaze's sudden burst of social etiquette. He had counted on their interaction turning completely sour because of her crass and crude nature of speaking, blunt and sometimes-vulgar words. But it looked like that _chiacchierone_ did have some sense when being a guest in someone's home.

Ayame-san swiveled around in her seat and brought her face close to Takumi's ears, startling him a bit. "Chizuru-chan isn't always tough to talk to or frank. I should apologise if she'd said anything insensitive to you when we all went out for ice-cream together. I swear I didn't know about that until yesterday" Ayame-san whispered.

"No need to apologise, she didn't say anything I didn't need to hear" he assured her. She blushed and gently punched him in the arm.

"Megumi-san, would you mind showing us the Polar Star plantation?" Takumi said quickly before Megumi-san got the chance to try and strike a futile conversation with Kuchiyose. The last thing the blonde Italian wanted was for her to feel awkward when it wasn't her fault.

"Oh sure! You need to meet up with Nakiri-san too don't you?" she said.

Takumi nodded.

Megumi-san led them out into the back where all the plantation was. It reminded him of the rustic countryside in _Tuscano_ where he and his family used to take trips to retreat from the busy lifestyle of _Trattoria Aldini_.

"This is our Polar Star Plantation. We grow and harvest our own vegetables and breed our own chickens in the farm pen. We also have our own _Kouji_ lab for special fermentation just over there, our own smoking house which comes with a firewood workshop" explained Megumi-san as she pointed out to each feature of the land.

She began her tour of the plantation, explaining in more detail as they stopped at particular sites she pointed out. Takumi lagged behind the group with his hands tucked in his pockets. Ayame-san and Namikaze were both glued to Megumi-san's guided tour, showing increasing interest in how the food and farming industry worked, with the Polar Star Plantation as a small-scale example. He could see Ayame taking in and processing the information in her head like the well-oiled gears of a machine all for her thirst for knowledge. Even Kuchiyose seemed to be listening closely.

"Polar star is self-sufficient huh?" said Ayame-san, admiring the view.

"Yep! And we like to keep it that way. The dorm is a special place to us and it's where we continue to build upon our specialty. It gives us plenty of room to grow and explore more about ourselves and our cooking style. This is the place to be for creativity" she said. Tadokoro-san handed each of them a ripe Japanese _momotaro_ tomato she just picked straight from the tomato vine they were looking at. They thanked her and Ayame-san eagerly bit into it.

"So sweet! Isn't it crisp, Chizuru-chan?" Ayame-san looked excitedly to her friend, with a bit of tomato juice sticking to the corners of her mouth

Takumi mentally slapped himself for thinking of licking it off of her.

"Sure" she said, nibbling on the oblate-shaped tomato.

It looked like Kuchiyose already downed his own tomato.

Megumi-san resumed the tour across the plantation and allowed the little group to pet the chickens, claiming that Yoshino-san wouldn't mind. The poultry perhaps was feeling a bit lonely that their keeper wasn't there this summer to nurture them, leaving the task to her and the dorm-mother. Ayame-san and Megumi-san spent a few minutes talking about how great an ambition Yoshino-san had for breeding her own Polar Star species of chickens. She had thrown a few genetics related explanations and terminology here and there about the style of breeding poultry and it got Megumi-san really interested too. Soon their tour ended and the little group thanked her for her adventurous trip into the fields. Takumi thanked Megumi-san separately for her time and she smiled saying that she hoped he would bring Ayame-san over again. He turned away before she could say anymore because he knew what she would say next, and wanted to spare himself the embarrassment.

"Are we going to see Nakiri-san next?" asked Ayame-san, slowing down her walking pace to travel beside Takumi, while the other two walked in front having a one sided conversation.

" _Sì_ , we are" he smiled at her.

* * *

 _"Velkomst!_ Aren't you the most adorable thing~?"

"Nakiri-san! Let go of her hands!" Takumi fumed at Nakiri Alice. She was grasping Ayame-san's hands tightly between them longer than what was socially appropriate and pressing her sly looking face into hers. Ayame-san looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"I don't think so. How do you feel about Tootsuki so far? I hope Aldini-kun has been showing you the fun places" she giggled.

"It's great, but if you don't mind me saying so. Meeting you is my highlight of the day" Ayame-san said back enthusiastically at her.

Takumi guessed that mad scientists thought alike, though he could never imagine Ayame-san being a mad one. Maybe there was a telepathic connection that all scientific minds had inbuilt to connect and link to other scientific minds on a spiritual level.

"Did you hear that Ryou-kun? She loves me!"

" _Ousu"_ Kurokiba replied casually, blending in perfectly with the background.

"When Aldini-kun asked me a favour to include me into his little tour, he mentioned that you wanted to be a mechanical and robotics engineer after university. I can't tell you how excited that makes me. I hope you'll choose building and designing equipment for the molecular gastronomy or the food engineering industry!" she cooed at Ayame-san, still not letting go of her hands.

Nakiri Alice was more energetic and over-familiar than usual. Takumi put it down to finding another female who could possibly challenge or share different knowledge with her on a scientific level. Because really, she was _pazzo_ most of the time.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Ayame-san exuberantly.

The Danish Nakiri blinked rapidly, as if she was taken aback by the sheer excitement the green eyed girl exuded, but she quickly accepted it like a gracious lady she was brought up to be.

"Go ahead!"

"I've been reading up on culinary mechanics, which applies mechanical engineering to food preparations. My understanding is that it involves scientifically analysing how mechanics affects taste and nutrition. I was wondering how much of mechanical engineering principles is applied in molecular gastronomy and in the current food and service industry, because I think it's something really important for not only exploring and inventing knew cooking techniques to increase the human experience in eating, but also tackling the world issues like obesity and global hunger"

Nakiri Alice widened her eyes, allowing a short pause to fill the air before grinning from ear to ear.

"Interesting, because culinary mechanics has existed for thousands of years! Take the pestle and mortar for example. It's just only recently been given its own branch of food science. My father's research facility up in Copenhagen is currently investing in it to increase and improve our research, lab procedures and results in molecular gastronomy. Personally I do use some cutting-edge culinary mechanics, but it's limited sometimes due to the lack of equipment or I haven't had the chance to try out certain principles" Nakiri Alice, laced her fingers together and regarded Ayame-san with an intriguing stare.

"So basically culinary mechanics is becoming an 'important thing', but it hasn't taken root into the main food sciences industries yet even though it pretty much goes hand-in-hand with molecular gastronomy. Also I guess there is still funding and grant research to go through to apply culinary mechanics and molecular gastronomy to world issues" said Ayame-san, slowly summarising.

In Takumi's point of view, it seemed like Ayame-san was looking more at the big picture applications of the food science, whilst keeping her mechanical engineering twist, whereas Nakiri Alice was more akin to personal gains within her field of expertise. If he didn't know better, he would have thought Ayame-san was advocating for mechanical engineering to have their own branch in the food sciences.

"Did Aldini-kun get you into the cooking world, Ayame-chan? Because you certainly know your stuff" said Nakiri, shooting a look in Takumi's direction.

"Haha, not really. My passion had always been in mechanical and robotics engineering. I was surprised and found it really interesting on how mechanical engineering principles and concepts play a strong role in innovations in food texture, taste and nutrition, as well as packaging and delivery" Ayame-san replied shyly.

"We need more people like you in molecular gastronomy!" Nakiri Alice bounced up and down.

"Could you give me an example of what kinds of culinary mechanics you already apply to your cooking?" Ayame-san asked, not at all intimidated by Alice.

"Sure! Currently my father is exploring applications of cell mechanics in ketchup, seeking best practices to mash tomatoes and bottle the product. Did you know how you mash the tomatoes and how it flows through the pipes changes its flavour, thus influencing whether a consumer likes or dislikes the taste? Personally for me, cutting carrots with a dull knife gives a different taste to cutting with a sharp knife. That's because sharp cuts create different textures and release different compounds of the carrot affecting its taste" Nakiri Alice finished very confidently.

"…"

"What! Were you expecting something more complex than that!" Nakiri Alice, started to become red in the face when she wasn't getting the reaction she expected from Ayame-san.

"No no! That did sound very interesting, don't get me wrong! Cell mechanics in ketchup and different cutting techniques sound really cool, but I was hoping you would mention hydraulics or something like that… haha" Ayame-san held her hands up in front of her to appease Nakiri.

"I must congratulate you Ayame-chan, you could be on my level if you were a fellow chef. Hey Aldini-kun! You better convince her to join the food industry, we can't lose a gemstone like her" Nakiri Alice said teasingly.

"It's not up to me" Takumi replied.

"Girl! Let me show you some of my equipment already, because my flash freezer uses a hydraulic system, did you know that?" said Nakiri. She grabbed Kurokiba to help her lift or move some of the equipment to show Ayame-san.

Ayame-san couldn't look any more excited. Nakiri Alice then dragged her over to the many technological toys whilst yelling orders at Kurokiba to demonstrate or turn on one of the equipment. The room filled with the incessant chatter of numerous scientific words thrown all over the place. Even words he had never heard of, but could tell they were to do with physics and engineering.

"You're not going to join them?" asked Namikaze by his side. Both of them pulled up a stool and sat at one of the metal benches.

"No, this is for Ayame-san" he said, looking away, feeling the need to find another place to sit.

"Sweet. She talks a lot about you" she said.

"Really?" Takumi said and sat up a bit straighter, looking at Namikaze.

"Hmm, I didn't want to come today you know, because I wanted you two to have a bit of alone time. Don't give me that look, I'm not that heartless." she chided him. "But Ayame-chan really insisted anyway. She does this _turtle face_ thing…".

Takumi was curious by this 'turtle face' Namikaze spoke of. Perhaps he could get Ayame-san to show him one day. That aside, her brutal honesty didn't settle well with his stomach. Takumi turned away a bit embarrassed. He wasn't even aware he was giving her any kind of facial expression. His impression of Namikaze had always been that she would be the third wheeler screwed tightly. To hear that she actually wanted the two of them to grow closer alone made him skeptical.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'll always be watching somehow, anywhere and I always carry out my threats" she smirked at him.

Nope he was wrong, she was still the same obnoxious midget.

"Damn, Kuchiyose-kun isn't back from the toilets yet. I knew he shouldn't have gone alone" Namizake clucked her tongue.

Takumi had completely forgotten that Kuchiyose had gone to the bathroom just before they reached the cutting-edge RS clubroom. It wasn't his fault that the tall giant was non-verbal, so how was he supposed to assert his own presence and actually get people to remember and notice him? He had been gone for more than twenty minutes so he was probably indeed lost.

"I'll go find him. This place is pretty big. No one would remember how to get to places" Takumi said hurriedly. All the guests here were his responsibility and under his care after all. He got up and ran to the door.

 _"Hej!_ Aldini-kun! Where are you going? I'm about to get everyone my famous Thermal Sense Curry I've already prepared for lunch" Nakiri Alice huffed with her hands on her hips.

"I need to find their other friend, _tornerò_ " he said.

Takumi quickly dashed towards the men's bathroom, leaving Nakiri's hollering behind him. Just as he made it in front of the bathroom corridor, he spotted Kuchiyose just standing there with his phone.

' _Seriously, what the_ _Diavolo is his deal?'_

If he wasn't going to enjoy the tour to Tootsuki, he could've spoken up to Ayame-san and said he didn't want to come. That way, she would have an extra pass to use herself. Something told him Ayame probably badgered him into coming the same way she did to Namikaze. He guessed if he was in the lilac-haired boy's shoes, he wouldn't say no either... or say anything...

"Hey, the girls are waiting for you" Takumi said, cautiously approaching him, needing to crane his neck a tad to look at his face.

Kuchiyose looked up at him from his phone and slowly slipped it in his pocket. There was something indescribable in his eyes. Takumi couldn't tell what it was because it was so potent. He moved languidly, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Takumi walked beside him as well, just to make sure he didn't lose him. He wished Kuchiyose walked a bit faster. Who knew what other things Nakiri Alice was getting Ayame-san to do. He had initially made her promise that she would show Ayame-san the safe stuff, but she refused to promise him that, claiming that he was trying to oppress her. Which was ridiculous! It was just being around Nakiri Alice and Kurokiba wasn't always a good idea.

Takumi opened the door when they finally arrived.

"Ah Aldini-kun, just in time. Ayame-chan's boundless knowledge has been a great help. Come and have a taste of-"

 ** _CLATTER!_**

Everyone in the room held their breaths in horror as the last plate of the exquisite and sensual Thermal Sense Curry clattered loudly to the metal counter-top. Luckily the plate didn't crack, but the flash-frozen pie crust garnish fell on its side.

"Mi'lady?" asked Kurokiba, genuine concern laced his voice.

Everyone looked at her. There was _shock, surprise, distress_ and lastly _fear_ swimming tumultuously in her ruby-red eyes. Her lips quivered and her hands trembled, poised in mid-air. Her brows also shot up to her hairline and sweat started beading on her forehead. Takumi was confused. Why was she looking at him like that?

' _Uno momento… Not at me'_

Takumi traced Nakiri Alice's line of vision with his own eyes to tall boy next to him. Kuchiyose's facial expression was just as puzzling. His lips formed a tight line and Takumi didn't think Kuchiyose's eyes were capable of pinning someone down until now, because he always looked lackadaisical. The potency in his gaze intensified as it zeroed in on Nakiri Alice, like a sniper finding his mark. His eyes were hard and barely unreadable, but there was something violent brewing behind them.

"Alice-san?" Ayame started, reaching for her trembling shoulder.

"U-uh… umm…I-I'm sorry… p-please excuse me" Nakiri Alice spun around and bolted out of the room through the clubroom back door leaving a trail of dust. Ayame-san stood there like a confused child, not knowing what to do or say.

"I need to go after Mi'lady" said Kurokiba as he jogged after her.

"What the hell was that?" Namikaze quirked her eyebrows at the back doorway, to Ayame-san and then to himself and the tall, lilac-haired giant.

Kuchiyose finally closed his eyes and sighed. Everyone left in the room waited for a reply if there was going to be one. When he spoke, his voice was deep and husky.

" _She's my ex-girlfriend"_

* * *

It had been some time since Kuchiyose-kun's announcement and nobody was sure how to take it.

"Should we go after her? Will she be alright? What should we do?" Ayame peddled back and forth behind the metal kitchen counter, chewing on her nails.

One second, the two of them were having the time of their lives, Alice-san was whipping out her equipment and showing Ayame how to use the 3D Chocolate printer that could print seven times faster than a regular 3D printer. In the next second, she was absolutely shell-shocked as soon as Takumi-kun and Kuchiyose-kun came back into the clubroom. It was like staring at the victim in a horror movie. Alice-san's personality did a one-eighty and was trembling all over. Even weirder still, she had never seen Kuchiyose looked so adamant at someone in all her time she had known him.

It was clear as crystal there was something suspiciously wrong!

"Nakiri-san's aide has already gone after her. What I _really_ want to know is…" Chizuru-chan dipped her spoon into one of the curry sauces and lapped it up "Why did she look _deliriously_ happy to see you?" Chizuru-chan said sarcastically and waved her spoon in Kuchiyose-san's direction who had already taken purchase leaning against the wall. Chizuru-chan was as sharp as ever.

Kurokiba-san came back from the back door and he had a sullen expression on his face. This couldn't be good "Milady has locked herself in Kitchen Hall fifteen"

"Will she be alright?" Takumi-kun asked Kurokiba-san.

"Fuck I can do when she's in that state" said Kurokiba-san and he sighed. Then he turned his attention to Kuchiyose-kun.

He sighed too.

"Alice and I were in a relationship for about a year and a half" Kuchiyose-kun said, shrugging his shoulders.

Ayame instantly looked up. She had almost forgotten what Kuchiyose-kun sounded like. Today he sounded heavier and huskier than usual, which was probably due to the present circumstances.

"What! Dating for more than a year? When was this? None of us knew? Did Nakiri Erina know? And how did she even have _time_ to date?" Takumi-kun exclaimed, more so towards Kurokiba-san. It sounded like it was a pretty huge deal.

"..."

Kuchiyose-kun obviously didn't want to answer any of that much to Ayame's and Chizuru-chan's disappointment.

"Mi'lady knows how to keep secrets when she wants to… and balance her social life to some degree…" said Kurokiba-san and he sighed again.

"Did you know that we'd be meeting her today?" Ayame asked Kuchiyose-kun cautiously.

He nodded.

Ayame suddenly felt guilty. The sinking suspicion in her gut was right. She should have paid close attention to the signs! Ever since Takumi-kun visited their classroom, Kuchiyose-kun had been endlessly staring at the Tootsuki buildings in the mountains in the distant. It didn't just happen in class, but also when they were out and about and walking home from school. She should've asked him if there was a connection between his odd and silent behaviour and Tootsuki, which obviously now she realised was a painful one! Also, she had nagged and nagged him to come with her to Tootsuki today through texting, until he finally conceded.

But he never said a word. She was the worst friend!

All this time what had been on his mind was _her_. His past. Nakiri Alice, his ex-girlfriend…

"Kitchen hall fifteen, right?" Kuchiyose-kun broke the heavy silence and sauntered out the door with his hands still in his pockets and headed down the corridor.

"Wait-!" Ayame swiftly turned after him but stopped in her tracks when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned back around to protest that Kuchiyose-kun shouldn't be going alone and saw it was Kurokiba-san's hand.

"It's best that Mi'lady faces this on her own" he simply said, his eyes still looking at the spot Kuchiyose-kun had occupied.

* * *

Alice wiped and wiped and wiped her tears, but they just weren't going away.

' _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, Byakko! Why the hell is he here?!'_

She pushed her silver tresses to the side to stop them sticking to her face. Even in this moment she needed to look beautiful. There was no one to see, but she would bet on her life there must be some sick camera trick planted somewhere by Erina to get back at her for whatever grudge she held. Only Erina and Ryou-kun knew and Ryou-kun wouldn't do anything underhanded towards her. It simply couldn't be a coincident that _he_ was here!

Tirelessly training away in Tootsuki and busying herself with the intrigue known as Yukihira-kun all throughout first year had made the pain and memories of her past subside substantially. However, it was always still there, lingering in the crevices of her heart. She hadn't seen him in more than six months and he looked just as stupidly handsome as she remembered. There were some slight differences she could see on his person. His body looked firmer and more toned from constant soccer practice. He was a bit taller too. His hair was more unkempt the only thing that remained the same were his eyes.

They were still burning.

The same eyes she fell in love with.

Alice slapped her forehead, trying to shut down all the memories in her head as they popped up one by one.

' _Byakko…'_

Guilt welled up inside her. She had spent many months subduing it, burying it deep into her ice-cold heart and making sure that it will never get in her way again. What the hell was she thinking?! She ran! She ran from him like the coward nobody knew she was! Well _now_ they knew, that's for sure. It was like the crack in the dam finally caved under the phenomenal pressure of the sea of emotions that just burst out and flooded every system in her body.

 _Click, click, click, click, click, **CLACK.**_

"R-Ryou-kun, is that you? Have you sent my apologies? I-I've just got a uhh… stomach c-cramp" she said her head buried in her hands as she sat on the stool leaning herself onto the metal kitchen counter. It was a pitiful excuse, she knew.

 _"Still a little liar, I see"_

Ice shards dripped down her spine. _No_.

" _Byakko!"_ Alice jumped out of her seat and collided with the other kitchen counter behind her.

Her knees almost buckled. He was really here! The tall figure she knew was Kuchiyose Byakko leaned against the door frame and regarded her coolly. Her heart was ready to burst out of her chest as she stared at her once flame glowering at her with a dangerous, burning ardour. His lips were in a taut thin line, hiding his razor sharp tongue. His tall frame casted a long shadow into the room, making her so much more aware that he was blocking her only exit. Alice felt her snow white skin heat up as shame and guilt rampaged through her again. She could see that his body was tense despite him reclining on the door jam, his hands were deep in his pockets.

Her defence mechanism kicked in and she quickly wiped away the rest of her tears.

"Well, fancy seeing you here again. I hope you've been—"

" _Why did you leave me?"_

The deep roughness sent goose bumps up her arms. _Oh God_. She knew that he was going to target that one God forsaken question straight off the bat. He wasn't one to beat around the bush for anyone's benefit. She was still affected by his haunting voice. It wasn't fair. His voice had only been two things to her: velvety and silky, and deep and husky. But this was a different combination she knew he used when he was restraining his _anger_. Alice took a deep breath and mustered the strength to look back at him.

' _Oh God, no…'_

Perhaps, never telling him the real reason was a big mistake. No, it couldn't be. She did the right thing, she was sure. Her defense mechanism went into over drive. Frustration started to seep into her being. She tried to stop it, but it was too late.

"I a-already told you…!"

 _"Not to my face"_

It sounded almost as if he was harshly chastising her in contempt. She hated answering his questions to his face because it was the most intense method on how he judged if a person was being true to their words, or was lying through their teeth. It always made her feel bare and transparent whenever he casted his penetrating stare, unlocking all her secrets and hidden stories whether she was talking or not at all. If he was going to play that game, then so will she. Alice sucked in her breath and steeled herself.

"We're too different from each other. You and I are not suited" she started, trying to maintain her voice. "Byakko… I was training to become a world leading chef in molecular gastronomy and one day take over my father's research institute and create my own culinary empire. I was already traveling across the globe, perfecting my cooking when we met! While _you_ , you were still in middle school and already getting scouted by famous international soccer teams! You are going to have a sporting career that could take you to different places too. We live in _different_ worlds! Can't you see that it was never going to-"

 _"Bullshit and you know it"_ he cut her off completely.

Byakko pushed himself off the door-jam and stepped into the room. The shuffled steps of his shoes on the sterilised floors echoed off the walls and only made him more intimidating in Alice's eyes. His body was still tense behind his guise of self-control, his hands still in his pockets and his eyes never left hers. The closer he got, the taller he became. Byakko still maintained a wide berth from her.

She refused to show him how frightened she was. She clenched her fists.

"Look, don't screw—!"

" _You already did"_

The tall, lilac-haired boy advanced upon her with quick long strides, easily sidestepping around the kitchen counter that separated the two. Alarm bells blared in her head. Where the hell was Ryou-kun?! Her god damn useless aide was supposed to be finished up with the cutting edge cooking clubroom eons ago! Byakko was so close to her now and to her shock he smelt the same. The same musky masculine smell of pine poured nostalgia into her.

 _Gud_ , how she missed it.

She tried to scoot backwards, but was trapped between the second row of cooking stations and him. Her backside pressed tightly on the edge of the metal countertop. She looked up and met eye to eye with his chest. _Damn!_ She only came up to his collarbone. His chest and shoulder had gotten broader with all that exercise practice.

 _She hated how he still had a hold over her mind!_

"Do you remember?" his voice returned to its calmer state as she felt his eyes graze over every inch of her body.

"W-What?"

"How we first met?" he continued.

He lifted his large hand up and she flinched, not knowing what he would do. She clenched her eyes and then felt feather light caresses, brushing aside her lone, long silver lock of silver hair she always fashioned to her left, just on the edge of her face. It shot electricity into her body. The memory sprang forth, but she couldn't concentrate on the details. She concentrated on his gentle touch.

"Our first date?" his voice drowned out all the voices in her head screaming at her to push him away.

His fingers traced lightly across her jawline, it felt white and hot and Alice's mind became muddled and the muscles around her eyes soften. Her eyes slowly looked up into his and was trapped by his hypnotic gaze. Those deep, dark hazel pools drawing her in.

"I-I don—" his thumb tugged her lower lip down, instantly silencing her. His face drew closer.

"Our first kiss?" He breathed onto her lips.

Her lips were hypersensitive to the fact that his were a hair's breadth away. Her breaths came out quick and sharp, her heart pounding in her chest. _Too close._ She could almost taste him. Her traitorous body trembled violently under his touch. It was on longer under her control, she couldn't even lift a finger. Her head swam with his musky scent and the sheer closeness his body was to her, radiating his own warmth.

"S-Stop—"

"Our first… _night_ together?"

"Mmmhh…!" she slipped out a moan. His fingers trailed down her swan-like neck, leaving a blazing trail of hot-white tingles that gripped her body to new heights. Memories of their private intimacies engulfed her. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to make her feel again!

His fingers rested on her pulse point, stroking the skin. Her body erupted in a burning and strong arousal. She struggled to keep her thighs shut together to try and quell the intense coiling in her lower body. Her hands gripped the cool metal bench behind her and she shut her eyes once again to stop his eyes from breaking her will. Another mewl threatened to escape her lips

Of course she remembered everything they shared and she _hated_ herself for it.

"Just admit it" he whispered, resting his heavy forehead on hers.

"S-say what…?" she responded in equally in a hushed voice.

 _"You never wanted to break up"_ said Byakko in a hushed tone.

Alice clenched her eyes tight. The tears stung as they squeezed itself out from between her eyes lids, soaking her lashes and leaving small wet trails down her cheeks. Her inner voice screeched at his audacity to make blatant and untrue assumptions! Of course she wanted to break up with him! She had to! _She had no choice._ Alice fought herself from reaching for the collar of his shirt and pull him down to her. However, he was making it unbearable and her body cried out to him.

"Byakko, don't be—"

He descended. The fingers that stroked her neck slithered up and grasped the back of her head in a forceful grip and tugged it backwards, causing her to gasp. Byakko took advantage of it and crashed his mouth onto hers in a searing and heated kiss. His tongue penetrated her mouth, caressing her tongue in a furious dance. He didn't fight for dominance, he took it. He pulled her head further back to angle himself, threading deeper into her.

It was a burning bliss. Alice cried out in exaltation and Byakko silenced her again with another and even more passionate kiss. His lips locked onto hers, pulling and sucking at her bottom lip making her see stars. In the past, how was revved up easily and his beast-like nature emerged from time to time, but this experience all over again was twice-fold, shattering her senses. She felt her body give in to him. He slid his other hand behind her back like a boa constrictor and crushed her smaller body to his, effectively caging her against him, her legs went limp a good few inches above the floor. She was smothered by the intensity of his administrations until her mind went blank.

The last chain on her conscience broke.

Alice snaked her arms up and around his neck, pulling him down to her greedily, even closer and responded back to him just as ardently. Her tongue met his and he upped the ante and subdued her with ease.

She couldn't breathe. He wouldn't let her breathe.

"Ngghh-!" the hand that was around her back hitched her up over the counter like she weighed nothing and he stepped forward between her legs, keeping them in place. His lips continued to claim her over and over, not breaking at all and his hands settled back down onto her lower back, tracing small circles just under her chef's uniform. She groaned without warning.

A growl rumbled in his throat causing delicious tingles in her. He grinded his lower self against her and Alice cried out into his mouth again and he swallowed it. The coiling forged stronger and stronger until it threatened to ruin her right then and there. Her body was too hot.

Then he stopped.

Byakko released her and stepped back until he collided with the other kitchen counter.

A rush of cold hair hit the Danish Nakiri princess hard. Her mouth felt bruised and tender and her eyes were still bleary from passion. It was so cold without him. The fogginess started to clear and her conscience slowly returned, chastising her. She slowly slid down the counter until she could find footing back onto planet Earth.

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe she actually let him _do_ that. She couldn't believe she _wanted_ it.

Byakko's torso stiffened again, his muscles tightened in his forearms, biceps and his shoulders. His face was turned away, his eyes hidden behind his tousled lilac fringe. His hands were fisted, resting against the metal countertop.

"G-Go now" she forced out her voice and it tremoured, about to break. He finally turned around to look at her, she wanted to weep before the same haunting and unreadable eyes she had fallen in love with long before. "Before we do something… we'll both regret" she whispered.

She bowed her head down and clutched at the collar of her chef's uniform. A few seconds later, his footsteps resounded in the kitchen, making its way to the door.

 _"You know that I'm the worst person to lie to, Alice"_

The furious clatter of the door sliding shut told her he'd left and then bursted into tears, collapsing to her knees onto the floor. _It was excruciating._ Misery and sadness clawed at her and the guilt continued to poison her blood. She was poisonous, she had always been that way. She had to let him go. _She couldn't stand poisoning his life._

Not when they both had their big dreams to live for.

* * *

"Mi'lady was dating before last year… just after coming back from _Skandinavien_ … then she found someone… she kept who it was a secret… Eventually she told me"

Takumi had a harder time digesting all this information than one of Ayame's wormhole stuff. Nakiri Alice who was the picture of perfect arrogance and confidence had actually scored a guy _and kept him_ for more than a year.

"What went wrong?" asked Namikaze, who had just about finished her plate of Thermal Sense Curry.

"An argument in Mi'lady's manor… on the phone I think and then she broke up with him on Christmas Day…There might be a connection… Fuck I know" said Kurokiba disinterestedly.

"What? Just like that? That's got to be extra painful, even for him…" said Namikaze.

"I heard that he demanded to see her a few times…but security didn't let him through and had to physically escort him off the grounds. It was the only time I've seen him in real life. Yeah… it looked like he wanted answers…" Kurokiba finished in his same monotonous tone.

Takumi wasn't keen on swearing in front of the girls, even if Namikaze was that type who was all for it. He reconsidered his judgement on Kuchiyose. Maybe he was the way he was because of his break up with Nakiri Alice? That could actually explain a lot of things. His oozing reluctance today, his cold distance from Takumi because of his association with Tootsuki, hence Nakiri Alice. That might be stretching it, but it made some sense.

"That's terrible. And we never knew about that side of Kuchiyose-kun at all…" said Ayame-san.

"We only became friends with him this year, you can't expect him to give you an autobiography on the first day, especially skeletons in the closet. And you certainly can't blame him for hiding it either. Ah speak of the devil" said Namikaze.

Kuchiyose came back into the room, looking a lot worse for wear. His head was bowed down and his hands stuffed in his pockets. Ayame-san ran over to him and hugged him around the middle but he didn't respond. She quickly let go and stepped back.

"You should have told us, then I wouldn't have forced you to come. How is Alice-san? Is she alright?" she asked worriedly.

 _"It's fine"_ he said.

"I take it that we're finished for the day. Did you sort things out with her?" said Namikaze.

Kuchiyose ignored her. To Takumi, it had ended in a disaster. He didn't think a drama would've erupted out of nowhere. Truthfully, he thought Namikaze was going to start something sooner or later. He prayed that Ayame-san 's day wasn't dampened. But it looked like she still got a lot out of it. His little group said their goodbyes to Kurokiba and wished him and Nakiri well and Namikaze had to stop Ayame-san from apologising profusely and hoped that she and Nakiri would talk again soon. Kurokiba just nodded.

The trip back to the Tootsuki front gates was silent and awkward. Takumi was blushing, not knowing what to say and how to react properly. He didn't want Ayame-san 's day to end so… badly. Then he felt bad. It wasn't anybody's fault. Nakiri Alice didn't know Kuchiyose was coming, Ayame-san didn't know about Kuchiyose's situation and he did try to make an effort to hide when they were approaching the cutting-edge cooking clubroom. The trip to the bathroom sounded more like a decoy to him now. So maybe that meeting was unavoidable.

"Don't look so glum, Takumi-kun. I still had a marvelous time" Ayame-san said to him when they reached the gates. Takumi blushed a bit and coughed into his fist.

"I'm still sorry about what happened just then. I know that it wasn't supposed to end this way" Takumi said, he smiled sadly.

"That's okay. I still feel really bad for coercing Kuchiyose-kun to come and I hope Alice-san won't hate me for it. I think I'm glad that he got to see her again, even if it wasn't the most ideal circumstance. Chizuru-chan will probably grill Kuchiyose-kun later. I think she's offended that he kept this from us for a long time. I've got to be there to protect him from her and her firing squad" Ayame-san sighed.

The pair looked up ahead and could see that the not-so-silent giant was trying to edge away from Namikaze, but she wasn't buying it and kept bulldozing into his personal space, chattering away and snapping her fingers at him.

"I sure hope you're right…" he said offhandedly.

"You know how Kurokiba-san mentioned Kuchiyose-kun wanted answers from Alice-san when they broke up? I think he might've found it today" she said, looking off into the distant at her two friends.

She had such a soft smile, but it was a sad one. Takumi didn't like to see such a sad smile on her face. No matter what reason it made his heart squeeze. She should always be happy, she deserved all the happiness owed to her. If it were in his power, he would always strive to make her the happiest woman on this Earth. Even if that meant cooking her Italian food every day of the week if she was within capacity to burn down her kitchen... or not.

"How do you know that, Ayame-san?" he asked.

"His eyes look different. He looks... _more alive_ somehow. Like he's found a new purpose" she said. Ayame-san turned to look at him and took his hand into hers and squeezed it

"Thanks again for inviting us. I'll be sure to come again with my last Tootsuki pass" she winked at him.

His stomach fluttered. Her winks made him feel so weak. He tentatively squeezed her hand back.

" _Prego_. I'll be waiting" he smiled at her.

"Oi Ayame-chan! We need to catch this bus if you want to make it time for the new episode of Megastructures! Also, I've got a doctor's appointment. Hurry up!" Namikaze's obnoxious voice rang out in the distance as she waved, jumping up and down.

"Hold your horses!" Ayame-san yelled back. "I guess it's bye for now" she said back to Takumi.

She wasn't walking away which made Takumi a bit confused. Did she want to tell him something? He was all ears. She stood there a few seconds more, biting her lips, fidgeting with her fingers, and looking away. Was she being nervous? Time stopped for Takumi. Before he could react, she leaned up on her toes, placed both hands on his shoulders and pecked him softly on the cheek.

' _WHAT just happened…'_

"That's how Europeans say hello and goodbye… right?"

Takumi was stone-still, already long gone from the physical plane. The sensitive skin on his cheek tingled, spreading over the rest of his flushed face. He absentmindedly said _arrivederci_ to her and could barely register any actions he took as he watched her run to where her friends were waiting. He lifted his fingers to gently pat his cheek. He could feel a miniscule coating of her lip balm.

He wasn't dreaming then.

He wasn't bloody dreaming.

He didn't care for what tradition she was talking about, but she _kissed him on the cheek_.

 _'Isami… I've died and gone to paradiso'_

Bzzzt!

Takumi reflexively reached into his pocket for his phone, but his mind was all over Ayame. He flipped it open and tried to read it with whatever was left of his sanity.

* * *

' _Ciao Takumi,_

 _We're moving back into our apartment? Alleluia!  
I can't wait for you to introduce your bella and  
don't you dare try to hide her from me :D  
_

 _One more thing. My flight will be arriving back  
to Narita airport in 2 weeks. Don't forget._

 _Ci vediamo presto!_

 _-Isami_

* * *

Right. Isami will be home soon and wanted to meet Ayame-san. He also needed to organise moving back into the apartment for his return.

' _WHAT! Hiding Ayame_ -san _? What's Isami trying to insinuate!?'_

* * *

 **No one saw that coming. What woes do Alice and Kuchiyose have in their past?** **This is Ayame and her friends' first time and I wanted to revisit the finer details of Tootsuki which could be easily overlooked. I like to do a little bit of that for each chapter.**

 **I know that some of you reviewers are very keen to see Souma/Erina romance. Unfortunately that's not a priority in this Takumi/OC centric fanfiction and it's not ever going to be. Perhaps you should be looking elsewhere?**

 **Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you in 5 days' time!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	8. Saying the Unsaid

_Chapter 8 – Saying the Unsaid_

* * *

Takumi loved Isami's constant reminder text messages that he was returning to Tootsuki. He missed his brother. Granted, meeting Ayame-san and her friends made his time in Japan more… hectic and busy for a summer holiday, thus less home-sick. However, he still longed for his brother to be by his side. Even after five years residing in Japan, he still missed seeing the chaotic traffic of _Italia_ and the chatter of _lingua Italiana_ whether it be _nonnas_ gossiping or men chortling over soccer scores. Most of all, _Trattoria_ _Aldini_ , his home and his family. Isami's return excited him and he couldn't wait to welcome him back in open arms and drink in all the news from home which Isami would bring back.

And _limoncello._ He _had_ to bring back _limoncello_.

He counted that it was exactly one week since Isami's first reminder text and exactly three days until his plane's touch down. He would arrive in the morning. Takumi walked down the steps of the apartment block that he and Isami would soon return to and the breeze caught his hair.

The end of August was approaching meaning his monthly rent will be rounding up, so it was best that he moved all their stuff out of the expensive dormitories and back into their apartment fairly quickly. He was so relieved when his landlady broke the news that the rent wouldn't change, that would definitely be easy on his family's bank account. Their _Trattoria_ did very well, but they weren't a rich family, so he and Isami always did what they could to make things financially easier for everyone whilst studying at Tootsuki.

Takumi sauntered down the street. His landlady had shown him the kitchens and the bathrooms, the final product of her renovation and he was pretty pumped. There were new tiles in the bathroom, black marble pattern with a fashionable feature strip of glass. The bathroom cabinet had a modern sheen and the shower stall was larger and she had spent an extra couple of thousand yens to include a niche in the shower stall designed to house shampoo bottles. The new kitchen looked brilliant. Everything was _soft closed_. He could try and slam every kitchen cabinets and drawers all he wanted and it will automatically pressurise and close gently against his will. Pretty nifty. The kitchen island had been replaced with Caesar stone which was great and overall, it was nice modern look.

Takumi took out his phone and was ready to text his _fratello_ good night as Isami would likely be going to bed around this time but stopped when a familiar voice called out to him.

"Takumi-kun! Hi!"

' _Ayame_ -san _?'_

He looked up. It really was Ayame-san. She looked especially lovely today. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail with a few locks framing her beautiful face. She was wearing a sleeveless white blouse and a simple black Western styled bow tie. She was also wearing a black short-shorts and white sandals. Takumi tried _really_ hard not to stare at her legs. Had they always looked this smooth and creamy like the froth on a _café latte?_ She stopped in front of him and Takumi smiled, admiring how her green eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"What are you doing in Minamikawase?" she asked jovially.

"Ah, I was just visiting my landlady. I need to let her know that I'll be moving back into the apartment. My brother and I've been temporarily living in Tootsuki's dorms while she was renovating some of the apartments she owns on this block." He said, pointing back towards the apartment block he exited and dangled his old apartment keys for her to see.

"Oh wow" Ayame-san looked up, making sure to partially cover her eyes from the bright afternoon glare as her gaze swept the building "So this is where you usually live? When are you moving back in?"

"Not sure. I'm hoping maybe by the end of this week. I want to get things ready for Isami's return" said Takumi. It wouldn't be fair to get Isami to help him move their things back into their apartment as soon as he got back when he would still have jetlag to wrestle with. As the older twin, he needed to take care of the bigger issues.

"How are you going to do that?" asked Ayame-san.

"Hire a removalist" Takumi pondered aloud.

Ayame-san screwed her face in concentration, doing that lip-biting she did often when Takumi knew the gears were turning in her head. It looked adorable, making him slightly blush but it also annoyed him because he didn't want her to ruin her lips.

"Removalists are quite expensive and you would only have a few boxes each to bring over. It wouldn't be practical to use the bus back and forth either. I know! Maybe Kuchiyose-kun, Chizuru-chan and I could help you?" she flicked her finger up to the sky as if pointing to a light bulb above her.

"N-No, seriously you don't have to. I'm confident I can manage on my own" Takumi waved his hand in front of him, hoping to get her to change her mind.

"Nonsense. What are friends for? Think of this as thanks for helping me cook pancakes and fish, also for letting us come to Tootsuki" She winked at him.

' _Oh my heart…'_

"Kuchiyose-kun has a car and can drive to Tootsuki to transport all your things in one trip" Ayame-san continued.

 _Car? Drive?_

"Umm… But Kuchiyose-san is only in second year high school like us. How is it possible he has a driving license already?" said Takumi in disbelief.

"…"

"…"

"Don't worry about that! The most important thing is that he _has_ a car and _knows_ how to drive!" Ayame-san laughed in such an unusual manner, high pitched and slightly broken making Takumi's suspicion sank deeper.

' _Madre Mariadi Cristo!'_

"Are you saying he doesn't have a license?! Your father is in the police force isn't he?! Does he have any idea about that?! _Won't we get in trouble?!_ " Takumi shrieked.

His mind rattled at the thought of being in association with an illegal driver and even more so that Ayame-san was perfectly dandy with it! There was not a speck of worry on her face by the fact that her friend drove without a freaking license.

"Kuchiyose-kun is a safe driver. Trust me. His family owns a tofu shop and he's been driving since he's twelve everyday early in the morning to deliver tofu to various restaurants. So it won't be anything different to what he's used to"

Takumi felt sweat beading on the back of his neck and it didn't have anything to do with the summer heat. She didn't deny his accusation. It looked like Kuchiyose's been driving illegally for _four years_ and nobody but him seemed to have a problem with that. The way Ayame-san beamed up at him made it really hard to say no. Not to mention that she was right. Removalist costs were quite pricey, especially when he and Isami only had a few boxes each to bring over.

"If you trust his driving skills, then I guess I could too. Are you sure he'd be alright with this?" Takumi scratched the back of his head, something he learnt Japanese people do to mask embarrassment after copying his _Pappa_ when he was younger.

"I could ask him and I'm sure he'll say yes. He's been humouring Chizuru-chan by following her to buy _manga_ , so he's in the mood to do anything to distract himself from…" Ayame-san 's sentence trailed off.

"That's the thing" Takumi said cautiously, filling in the information gap for Ayame-san "He would need to drive to _Tootsuki_ , where Nakiri Alice lives. I don't think he'd be willing to go there the second time around and I wouldn't want him to do something he's uncomfortable with, especially for me"

Ayame-san 's face fell a bit "I suppose but you'll never know. Kuchiyose-kun is tougher than he looks. I'll ask him anyway and see what happens" she cheered up slightly. "How is Alice-san by the way? Is she ok?"

Takumi thought for a moment "Um, I did visit her a bit today. She seemed… fine" he said. He would sooner die than tell Ayame-san that actually, Nakiri Alice threw an expensive smoothie blender at his head the first chance she got.

Takumi had spent a chunk of time thinking about what happened between Kuchiyose and Nakiri Alice in the past. Meeting Ayame-san was full of strange coincidences! The lilac-haired giant and the Danish Nakiri were together at one point? Well... he remembered sharing most classes with her and Kurokiba in middle school but hardly knew her story aside from her family background. He commended her for keeping her 'secret boyfriend' a secret very well for so long. Kuchiyose was a _local_ kid, a non-Tootsuki student who played soccer and went to a normal public school about thirty minutes away from the Nakriri manor. So it might be plausible for them to bump into each other often enough to initiate a romantic relationship as ridiculous as that sounded. But the Nakiri's weren't the type to associate themselves with anyone in the lower classes, much less outside their social circle... So he found himself wondering about the unusual circumstances on how the Danish Nakiri princess and the commoner boy met. What kind of chemistry bloomed between the two in the first place? And what ended their relationship so badly? There was so much mystery behind this and his thoughts were flooded with questions. But alas, it was none of his business so he tried to expel it from his mind.

"Oh that's good" Ayame-san seemed to cheer up a bit more.

Takumi felt the conversation was coming to a close and he didn't want her to dwell on the things she shouldn't worry over "So what about you? What are you doing here in Minimikawase?" he asked.

"Me? I'm just running an errand at the local _kendou_ _dōjō_. After work, _Otou-san_ trains the students there on a casual basis. But since his investigation, he's been coming home a lot less so he needed me to drop something off" she said.

"Oh I see" Takumi smiled.

"Well, I need to get going. I've got some grocery shopping for dinner tonight. _Okaa-san_ still isn't back from her business trip yet" she said, checking the time on her phone.

"It just so happens I need to get a few things for dinner too" said Takumi "We could go together"

"I'd love that" she smiled brilliantly at him.

' _She said she'd_ love _that'_ Takumi repeated over and over in his head.

They started walking together down the street, looking towards the beautiful blend of orange, red and pink hues of the setting summer sun, commenting on it as they enjoyed their walk together. Takumi listened happily to Ayame-san recounting what she'd learnt from some sort of military engineering exhibit she ventured to sometime after her visit to Tootsuki. Takumi felt he could never get tired from listening to her. In fact, he could listen to her forever. He'd thought whether or not it'd be impertinent if he were to surreptitiously ask a few more questions about Kuchiyose, only to make sure if he did or didn't engage with other illegitimate activities, but thought better of it. He trusted Ayame-san.

Soon both were sitting on the bus routed for Karakura honchou. It seemed like the supermarket there was her favourite. Takumi made sure she boarded first with him close behind and that she sat at the window seat first before he settled beside her.

"So what are you making for dinner?" she asked from beside him.

"Just something simple like _pappa al Pomodoro._ It's a Tuscan bread soup"

Takumi relaxed against the seat thinking of what other things he could add. He had a lot of left over bread _._ He could probably make garlic bread out of some of it too. He hadn't had that for a while. He was about to ask her what she was having for dinner, but paused when she was giving him a seriously weird look. She stared at him as if his face was the moon and she was a moth. Eyes wide and unusually shimmering and glazed over, filled with some sort of yearning or craving. Her face was slightly red and her mouth was slightly agape and he swore she looked like she was about to drool. Perhaps… Oh hell, he went ahead and asked.

"I… don't suppose y-you'd like to join me for d-dinner instead, would...you?" he said hesitantly, feeling his cheeks reddening and his heart rate increase suddenly, scrutinising for any sign and praying to the Roman Gods that it wasn't the wrong move.

"Can I? Can I really?" she leaned closer to him, her face almost in his. Takumi gulped and leaned away, averting his eyes because he couldn't stand how cute she looked up close.

' _So that was what she wanted…'_ he internally sighed with relief.

"Of course, I wouldn't invite just anyone…" he mumbled, hyper aware that she was fidgeting around in her seat. She must be really excited. Takumi counted off the times he cooked with her. He made _Aldini_ style American pancakes with her but he guessed that it didn't really count as because it was more _Americano_. He also helped her with fried fish, but it wasn't particularly Italian either since the seasoning wasn't anything special. He thought about it, he never actually made her _Italian food._ So this would be the first.

Takumi's blood started heating up and anxiety gripped him.

' _Get a hold of yourself! You're just making god damn soup!"_ he sighed internally.

"Wait, you still need to have a Tootsuki pass to get into the grounds" Takumi realised. _Stupido!_ Why didn't he think of that before he asked her to dine with him!

"Hmm? No worries, I always keep the passes in my wallet." Ayame-san whipped out the last pass out from her little travel wallet and showed it to him, grinning from ear to ear.

He released a relieved sighed. Phew, he saved himself a whole lot of embarrassment. Soon they made it to Karakura honchou bus stop. Takumi got up and allowed Ayame-san to alight the bus first before himself. It was around rush hour traffic and there were many housewives flocking into the supermarket to get groceries to feed their families. Also there were some teens around their age who were loitering around, guzzling soft drinks or ice-tea by the carparks too. Again, it reminded him of the Italian markets in twisted sort of way.

"Oh damn, there must be a discount sale on right now" said Ayame-san.

Both teenagers squeezed themselves through the growing crowd and made it to the very centre of the supermarket. Takumi quickly nabbed the last of the shopping basket and quickly turned around to tell Ayame-san that he was going over to the vegetable section to get the vegetables he needed for _pappa al Pomadora_.

But she was gone.

' _Where did she go?'_ he began to worry a bit.

"Aya!"

Takumi spun around towards the sound of her voice. It was sharp and distressed. He quickly scanned the area and caught sight of her floundering in a sea of Japanese women battling for the discounted meat. She looked panicked and was promptly knocked to the side by an impatient, burly looking woman. Takumi dropped the basket and skidded forward just in time to catch her before she knocked over a palette of cream soda and hurt herself.

"Thanks Takumi-kun… I can't believe I was silly enough to get myself caught in between a pack of short ribs and a feisty menopausal woman" she grimaced.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Takumi asked as he pulled her back to her feet, carefully checking her over.

Ayame-san shook her head and was blushing heavily and Takumi looked into her eyes to find out why. Then he realised that both his hands were on her forearms, whilst he was trying to check her over for bumps and bruises.

 _Oh._

"I-I was just checking if you were okay!" he flew back, throwing a big distance between them and waving his arms in the air as if they were burning and hastily picked up the basket he had abandoned. Embarrassment soaked into him. How could he be blatantly touching her like that in public! Sweat poured out from the back of his neck again.

She chuckled.

"It's okay, I'm all good"

' _You most certainly are'_ Takumi then mentally backhanded himself after the thought.

" _Avanti!"_ he yelled.

The noise at the front of the supermarket rose as more and more people flooded in, pushing into the discount section. Without thinking twice, Takumi quickly grabbed Ayame-san 's hand and dragged her along with him over to the vegetable section where it was a lot more breathable. Ayame-san followed close behind and securely squeezed his hand back, giving him another appreciative smile. He flushed red and muttered some of the things he needed to get for their dinner, but didn't make a move to let go.

Takumi and Ayame-san spent their whole shopping expedition holding hands.

* * *

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Ayame.

"No that's okay, make yourself comfortable. I just need to change. I won't be long" Takumi-kun said as he disappeared into the backroom of the kitchen.

So Ayame did, just that. She took one of the kitchen stools and sat at the metal counter. So this was kitchen twelve. Ayame looked around and was still impressed at how pristine everything looked. It was the same as the other kitchen Takumi-kun had showed her on her first visit. All the stove tops were spotless, unlike her own. All the dishes were stacked neatly on the side and so were the pots and pans, unlike her own. Not a thing was out of place, like a military establishment… definitely on like her own. Ayame pulled out her phone and texted Kuchiyose-kun if he was available any time this week to help out Takumi-kun move his and his brother's things to their newly renovated apartment in Minimikawase. He was probably having evening soccer practice now. It was worth a shot anyway. After her message sent through, she pocketed her phone without bothering to check the ones sent by Izumo-san few days before and laid her hands on the metal countertop. Ayame flexed her fingers back and forth. Takumi-kun's hand had been so warm, almost clammy as they went shopping together, but that didn't bother her at all. Just as he predicted, the supermarket got even more packed, if it were possible, and he made it a point to never let her hand slip from his. Their palms fitted perfectly together.

He was firm and gentle at the same time. _Reassurance_.

Ayame stared at her fingers. When she held his hand, it made her heart beat faster in her chest. It reminded her of the time he grasped her hand over the handle of the frying pan when they made pancakes at her house. It felt _intimate_. Surely he was just performing the duties of a gentleman. He would probably do it for any other person. Only she hoped he didn't.

' _Get a grip Ayame, he was only being a polite'_

She chewed on her bottom lip, something she did when she was deep in thought. Suppose that maybe he actually _did_ like her. What clues did she have? He blushed and he stammered sometimes when she was being cheeky with him. So what? They were circumstantial evidence. Maybe he did that with others too.

' _He was very… tactile…when teaching me how to make pancakes and fry fish'_

Perhaps that was just the way Italians taught cooking. Ayame quickly scolded herself. Even to her, that excuse sounded lame and stupid. The more she thought about it, the more she drove herself into a frenzy. Ayame brushed her hair to the side with her fingers and sighed. Chizuru-chan's pearls of wisdom included screaming _'Just go for it girl and see where it takes you!'_ to her face, whereas Kuchiyose-kun's advice was sent through texting: _'Follow your heart'_. Both were saying the same thing, from two completely different minds and in two completely different ways. That's got to say something.

For a while now, Ayame had been toying with the idea of Takumi-kun liking her back. It was exciting and frightening at the same time because she would day-dream about the two of them together but always return back to reality that this idea was _Schrödinger's cat_. He could both be interested and _not_ interested in her until she or he confessed. The not knowing part... The percentage of the likelihood of Takumi-kun liking her back fluctuated every day and it drove Ayame nuts. She was definitely smitten with him.

"I'm going to start cooking now" said Takumi-kun from behind her.

Ayame whipped around and her jaw was practically on the floor. Nobody told her that a guy in a chef's uniform looked _smoking_. If she thought men in uniform looked appealing, they got nothing on a half-Japanese, half-Italian guy in a chef's uniform. Takumi-kun was making her feel weird things on the inside again. It was the standard uniform except with chrome-orange trimmings. It fitted him really well and made him look utterly professional. The more she stared at him up and down, the faster her heart beated in her chest. The kitchen started to feel hot. Was it her or did the thermostat dial magically twist itself?

There was an odd silver dot on the front of his uniform.

"Umm. What's that there in the middle of your chest?" she pointed, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Oh that? Well… I told you about it. It's the keychain you gave me. I took it apart and pinned it to my uniform… for luck" said Takumi-kun, looking a bit flushed.

"But why is it backwards?" she got up from her seat and approached him. Takumi-kun suddenly started fiddling with the sleeve of his uniform, looking a bit anxious.

"So it doesn't get dirty or collect oil" he simply said, averting his eyes.

He was just so, so, so adorable. She was touched.

Ayame didn't bother suppressing the smile that invaded her face. The way he cared for a silly old thing she made, made her feel giddy. She felt the need to tease him to make that blush she loved come back.

"I'm glad you're taking really good care of it. It says a lot about a man" she stepped forward and prodded him in the chest.

Ayame smiled cheekily and expected him to get embarrassed, stammer and get flustered or hastily make his escape to the cooking station to start preparing their dinner. But he did none of that as he stood there, his face and body was unmoving. His ice blue eyes pierced down to her own. He was looking at her so heatedly and with such intensity that it made her mouth go dry and her cheeky smile disappear. Those feelings were returning, and she couldn't techno-babble it away to herself without blushing crimson. Why was he looking at her like that?

"I suppose it does reveal what kind of man I am" he simply said before walking past her and over to the ingredients he had already set out.

Ayame quickly rubbed her ears to make sure she heard that right. He _did not_ say what she thought he just said. Was he returning her teasing remark?

"Do you want to watch me? You might learn a few things" he said as he began washing the cherry tomatoes he bought in a colander.

"Uh... y-yeah sure" Ayame stammered as she retook her seat, accidentally slipping as she hopped on.

"Careful there, wouldn't want to fall down a second time today" Takumi-kun chuckled as he began slicing garlic and some washed basil.

"Would you still catch me?" Ayame verbally prodded back.

"I would leap over this countertop if I have to" he said as he began chopping more tomatoes.

It was Ayame's turn to flush completely red.

' _Aya. Who knew he could be this suave'_

She didn't learn a damn thing while he was cooking.

" _Buon apettito!"_

It smelt heavenly, like the divine radiance from the angels themselves. Ayame sighed dreamily, allowing herself to be whisked away by the blend of the basil, pepper and tomatoes. She was already salivating. The well-known Tuscan dish was just begging to be eaten with gusto! Her hands itched to snatch the spoon from Takumi-kun before he could set it before her and just dig into the famous 'bread and tomato soup'. It looked more like a stew, but either way, it was going down her gullet. The glimmering sheen of the bread coated in the thick soap was calling out to her.

Takumi-kun sprinkled the finishing touches of handful of basil and some Parmesan cheese. Ayame said _'Itadakimasu'_ whilst Takumi said grace in Italian before both dug in. She scooped up some bread in the soup and was amazed at the way it simply melted in her mouth to a flavourful mush. It slid slowly down her tongue and throat, satisfying her senses as it went.

The ingredients were so simple. He only used cherry tomatoes, bread, basil, garlic, onions and bread and with it he created this fantastic piece of rustic, home spun _Aldini_ -style soup. She grabbed some garlic bread Takumi-kun also made and bit into it, licking around her lips to catch the crumbs

She groaned. THE best garlic bread she ever tasted. She was NEVER eating store-bought garlic bread again.

"It's not fair, why can't I cook this well?" Ayame sighed.

Takumi-kun ate quietly on the opposite side of the metal countertop, not even looking up once. Ayame looked on with a bit of confusion. Perhaps he wasn't really a talker during dinner or meal times so much. _Otou-san_ didn't talk much during dinner either, claiming it was bad for digestion. Now that she thought of it, she did most of the talking when they had fish and pancakes together.

"Y-you like it?" he barely whispered, not even lifting his head.

"Are you kidding me? I love it! I'm jealous. Remember how you took over the kitchen at that Italian café we went together? I was hungry from just serving your food to the customers. I was tempted to stick my finger in it and have a taste of it myself before handing it over" said Ayame exuberantly.

"I'm glad" he smiled across from her, like a kid that won a merit certificate.

Her heart fluttered.

Ayame busied herself with continuing to eat the _pappa al Pomodora_ and relishing in its flavourful but simple taste. She wanted to weep from such deliciousness. Ayame took another spoonful and lapped it up. She gingerly touched her own throat with the tips of her fingers, feeling the exquisite warmth as it travelled down her throat. Its flavour absorbed throughout her body. She continued to trace her fingers down to her collar bone where the warmth disappeared just behind it. Her heart beated heavily against her rib cage, this dish satisfied all her senses and more. She closed her eyes and relished her next spoonful. A bit of the soup dripped from the spoon like jewel droplets and she caught it just in time with the back of her fingers. She lifted it to her lips and slipped her tongue out and lapped it up, making sure not waste a single drop.

She suddenly felt a warm shiver up her spine.

With a shy glance, she almost choked at the way Takumi Aldini was watching her like a hawk, with a slice of bitten garlic bread dangling from his fingers as he rested his elbow on the countertop.

It was quite unnerving. What had she done to warrant this amount of attention from him whilst eating? Ayame's face felt a bit heated and her hands suddenly trembled when she scooped another spoonful of the delicious thick soup. She took a quick peep at him and almost dropped the spoon back into the bowl.

She'd seen that look before deep in his ice blue eyes.

It was at her house, when his face was dipped so close to her that their lips almost touched…

This was getting awkward… Was he trying to tell her something with his eyes? Did the aroma of basil paint her a hallucinogenic picture? Did the seasoning for the fish last time contain basil? Basil contained ' _eugonal',_ a chemical component that gives it its sweet aroma. Maybe there was a correlation if it were hallucinogenic. Ayame's techno-babble ceased.

"Umm, is everything…okay?" she quietly asked, keenly observing his expression to decipher his odd behaviour. She followed Takumi-kun's gaze as it dipped a bit and then back to her eyes before he clenched his eyes shut and turned his head to the side. He looked very tense.

' _Did I do something wrong? I don't think so… or maybe he's missing his brother so much'_ she wondered anxiously.

That had to be it.

Ayame put on her best comforting smile and leaned over to give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. A soon as her hand crossed the invisible midline across the plate of garlic bread between them, it happened all at once. Takumi-kun snatched her hand from mid-air and pulled her forward. Ayame yelped in surprise. Her hips bumped into the metal counter stopping her from falling onto the food.

' _What the hell!'_

Something soft and moist was pressing against the back of her knuckles. Takumi-kun was pressing his lips to her knuckles.

" _Non posso resistere più voi..."_

Ayame's thoughts were bouncing around in an out-of-control carousel. He was murmuring some Italian things, its clarity obstructed by pressing her knuckles to his lips, quite firmly. Ayame panicked.

' _What is he doing? What is he saying?! What am I going to do? What's going on?! IT MUST BE THE HALLUCINOGENIC BASIL!'_

This definitely had nothing to do with his brother. Her basil theory looked more and more attractive by the second. Ayame licked her lips to buy some time to think of what to say.

"H-Hey-"

Suddenly, he pulled her hands away from his lips, but didn't let go. He stared at her and parted his lips "Ayame, I—"

 _Vorp!_

"AYA!" she squeaked.

Ayame sprang back and wrenched her hand from Takumi-kun's whilst he looked like he snapped himself out of a witch's spell. She fumbled through her pockets for her phone, distracting herself from the sounds of Takumi-kun clumsily clearing their empty bowls and almost-finished garlic bread.

' _When and where'_

 _-KB_

She sighed. It was just a harmless text message. Kuchiyose-kun was fine with coming over to help Takumi-kun after all. That was a relief. Ayame turned around and was about to tell Takumi-kun the good news, but the atmosphere had gone frosty. He was already halfway through washing their dishes. How the hell did he wash the dishes so fast? It must be the fast-paced kitchen environment he grew up in. Time was money, and money came from a lot of customers.

Ayame opened her mouth to speak, but found it more difficult than she thought.

"Uh… K-Kuchiyose-kun said he could come to help you move. I-Is this weekend alright with you?" Ayame stammered. Nerves and anxiety gripped her. She prayed to _kami_ that the awkward situation would just lift because she couldn't bear Takumi-kun to suddenly be cold now.

" _Si._ That's fine with me" he said in such an eerie and calculating way.

Ayame's worry heightened. She crept around the side of the kitchen countertop to where the sink was. Takumi-kun didn't seem to notice her as he was obsessed with rinsing the already clean dishes. His hands were as red as boiled lobsters from the steaming water he was forever rinsing the dish under, it didn't even look like he was feeling the hot water. That couldn't be good for the skin. Ayame promptly shut off the tap.

Takumi-kun stopped and turned rock solid still. He didn't remove his eyes from the dish he was still holding in his tight grip, water continued to drip into the sink with loud pitter-patters. Ayame gently pried it out of his hands and placed it onto the drying rack with everything else.

"Please forgive me for what I did" Takumi-kun slid backwards and pressed both his hands onto the rim of the sink and leaned forward with his head bowed.

It was as if doing the dishes had exhausted him and he needed to catch his breath. His golden hair obscured his eyes so she couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking. She frowned. This wasn't like him at all. Blushing and stammering, yes, but silent and tense, no. She admitted that his actions while dining together was indeed peculiar, but he wasn't doing anything _wrong_.

On the contrary. It felt _right_.

It was now or never. She had to know. Time to find out if Schrödinger's cat was alive.

"There's nothing to forgive. What were you going to ask me?" she said resolutely.

' _I think I know what you were going to say'_

Takumi-kun looked away sheepishly and straightened himself up. He began fiddling with the sleeves of his uniform, like he did when he got changed before cooking. Ayame stepped forward so that she was in his personal space and softly touched his hands, making him stop fidgeting.

"Uh… Umm, j-just. Nothing… it was nothing important" Takumi-kun turned his face away, his brows crinkled together and his lips in a dead-set line, but Ayame was having none of that.

She reached up and gently placed her palms on his cheeks and swiveled his head to look at her, startling him. She wanted to see his eyes more than ever.

"No, don't be like that. Everything you say is important… to me" she said as calmly as possible.

' _I need to hear it…'_

Takumi-kun sighed after a momentary silence and took her hands from his cheek and just held it in front of him. "Once I say it, know that I won't take it back. Alright?"

Ayame held her breath, captured by the raw spirit in his eyes. Her ears were wide open.

"I like you, Ayame. I l-like you a lot. I-I've never felt this way with anyone else before. Your every action makes me feel hot and cold all the time, my heart beats so hard or not at all when I'm around you, I can barely stand it. Your smile steals my b-breath away, even from the first moment I met you. You're absolutely beautiful, you're smart, funny and I love listening to you talk… even about wormholes, _robotica,_ you name it… Whenever I see you eat or even the times we cook together, It drives me mad for you and I feel like I want you to be only eating my dishes! I want to know heaps m-more about you. And s-so umm… _Would you allow me the honour of courting you?_ "

Ayame could have been knocked over with a feather. She had a massive inkling that he was going to say he liked her and a strong dose of doubt that came along with it. No way in all the multi-verses that she ever expected him to pour out everything he just said… _about her_. Ayame was enraptured from happiness all the way to fright. She was spellbound by his delivery and such earnest and passion in each of his words. He had looked absolutely frightened. But then his _gorgeous_ blue eyes finally dropped his final guard and revealed to her the hidden passion deep within. She couldn't believe it! There was someone on this Earth who really thought this way about her and was _sincere_ about it. In all her sixteen years of life, she had never met anyone as gifted, kind-hearted, ambitious and amazing as Takumi Aldini and here he was gripping her hand tightly between them, searching for an answer somewhere on her face. So far she could only offer him her jaw lying on the floor and her eyes in need of deflation.

Ayame snapped herself back to reality. Her response. She remembered she had to give him a response. Ayame launched herself at him.

" _OAAH!"_ Takumi-kun stumbled back at the sudden weight she threw at him and caught her around the middle, holding her tight to stop both of them from crashing to the floor.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for you to say that. Because I've always liked you too" she mumbled into his shoulder, trying to contain her happiness from combusting them both. She embraced him with all her energy around his neck, pressing herself flush against him. She drank in the smell of his cologne, mixed with his natural scent creating the distinct smell reminding her of cedar that only Takumi-kun could pull off.

After a few moments Takumi-kun hugged her back tightly before letting her go, but still keeping his hands on her forearms and not letting her step back too much. He was sporting the biggest and cheesiest smile on his face and it melted her insides. There was something cheeky in them and she felt the need to put up some sort of guard.

"I-I don't know wh-what we really are now. I d-don't think I've thought th-this far ahead. Uh… well, I should I be looking up d-d-dating things on the internet, journal articles or from a thesis? U-uh, or buy a book about— _Mmmphf_!"

Ayame's lips were swiftly captured by the man in front of her. They were firm yet gentle, tenderly moving against hers like the bow caressing a violin. He tasted like the citrus of _yuzu_ with a heady blend of basil. Takumi-kun settled his hands on her waist, holding her hips close. She relented and melted into his arms and poured herself into his sudden kiss, letting him know exactly what she felt for him. She slowly wrapped her arms over his neck, being shyly coaxed further. He filled her with a raging passion she never knew she was capable of and she felt a burning ember behind his actions, as if waiting to be let loose, but restraining. Then he pulled back slightly, letting his full lips linger against hers a bit as they parted from their sweet, single kiss. Only the small puffs of air between them.

Ayame felt out of this world.

" _Mio bella"_ he whispered sensually against her cheek.

Ayame clutched at his uniform for dear life, she didn't trust herself to stand and support her own weight now, not when the boy who made her world spin was whispering wicked Italian magic to her. She couldn't think, all she could see, feel, hear, smell and _taste_ was him.

Takumi-kun carefuly stroked his thumb across her lower lip and dipped in for the second kiss of the night.

* * *

 **I'm giggling. A sweet confession after dinner was what these two weirdos deserve. Finally, Takumi bucked up and confessed, and got the chance to court the girl of his dreams. And finally, Schrödinger's cat became Ayame's golden Italian kitty :3**

 **The road trip doesn't finish at the confession! There are still a whole bunch of characters that need to make their appearance and the school semester for Tootsuki and Karakura high school is ready to recommence. Of course Food Wars! isn't Food Wars! without a certain red-headed diner chef who's been traipsing around Japan :D**

 **Until next time, I hope everyone gets their Christmas shopping done and dusted and avoid the maddening rush.** **See you in 5 days' time!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-Dono**


	9. Apartment Time with the Squad

_Chapter 9 – Apartment Time with the Squad_

* * *

Takumi stacked the last of his and Isami's boxes just by the school gates at the mail depot. It took him a good hour and half to pack everything up. There wasn't a single drawer unopened or a mattress upturned, to make sure he packed up _all_ their belongings. Even though the _fratelli_ knew everything about each other, Takumi still kept Isami's privacy intact and made sure to pack Isami's belongings with the respect they deserved. He wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled at his shirt repeatedly to get some air under it to cool his skin. Summer in Japan was almost as bad as summer in _Italia_. The chirping of the cicada filled the air. Its incessant droning was a meditative ring for Takumi and it gave him something to concentrate on apart from the soon-to-be-ending summer holidays.

"Soon. Soon Isami will be back" he muttered.

The blonde teen leaned the industrial box trolley against the mail depot door and sat on one of his boxes, releasing a big sigh. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to nab extra Tootsuki passes for Ayame and her friends to come inside and help him bring his and Isami's boxes down from the dormitory room. His pocket felt so empty without his dorm key, now returned to the dorm management. He didn't think he would actually miss the small dormitory room to be honest. But that was okay. Takumi had borrowed the school's box trolley and thank goodness the elevators didn't malfunction, so that made his trip down the buildings and across the grounds less ghoulish. He also made sure to deposit the boxes at the mail depot so that nobody could steal anything whilst he made multiple trips. Takumi realised they had more things with them than they initially had to start with when they first arrived in Japan. He only remembered bringing casual clothes, blazers and coats, pyjamas, socks and boxers, chef's uniforms, his fully stocked chef's knife case, alarm clock, family photo, the _Aldini_ olive oil for luck and some other sentimental things. For everything else, the _fratelli_ could get themselves in Japan like school uniform, toiletries, bathroom and laundry products, school note books, school textbooks and food. As Isami kept reminding him, Japan was the homeland of tremendous stationary.

Takumi checked the time. Ayame said she, Namikaze and Kuchiyose would arrive at nine o'clock to pick him and his boxes up at the Tootsuki gates and make their way to his newly renovated apartment block in Minamikawase.

The blonde Italian couldn't take Kuchiyose's questionable driving off his mind… his stomach gurgled in protest, giving him a preview of the wonders of travel sickness he may endure should he surrender himself to his unapproved driving. He and Isami avoided taking car trips in Italy, except when out in the country side. They preferred to walk to places. He admitted that he missed seeing and chaotic Italian traffic, but no, he wasn't keen on being part of it per say.

 _Bzzzt!_

Takumi pulled out his phone and read the incoming text message.

* * *

' _Hey Takumi!_

 _We're going to be 5mins late, tops.  
Otou-san was whinging about running out of tea  
So I had to go run out to buy some…_

 _See you soon!_

 _-Ayame_

* * *

Takumi smiled. Ayame had attached a picture of an empty tea canister. Probably her father's personal stash. It looked like not all police officers worked on weekends. But with her father being the Superintendent General of TMPD, he kind of expected him to be on the job or undercover twenty-four-seven… and was more of a coffee drinker.

He had been thinking about her all day yesterday. What were he and Ayame now?

Takumi blushed at the memory. He couldn't believe he had been so _assertive_! What was going on with him two nights ago? He had completely lost control at the sight of her swallowing his food and touching her own neck and probably had scared her half to death when his hand discovered a mind of his own and grabbed her to pull towards himself _across the kitchen counter_. _Dio mio_ , he was less and less like a gentleman around her. When her strange phone ringtone blasted out of nowhere, he had realised how inappropriate his actions were and was absolutely mortified!

But...

He couldn't resist... How could he not?

' _Live for today for there might not be a tomorrow. Live for tomorrow as today will not last'_

That was what _mamma_ told him and Isami whenever they were too scared, embarrassed or anxious to try anything. Do it now before it's too late was basically what her proverb meant. Her words whispered its way from deep within his subconscious into the surface of his mind. _Mamma_ had an odd way of saying the right things at the right time. Even then when they were half a world apart, she was still with him somehow.

Her words didn't feel any truer that it was that night. That moment of clarity Takumi had when Ayame placed her hand on his cheeks and forced him to look at her. Oh her eyes. They were beseeching him, winded their way into his soul. It was like she was reading him and reading him well to understand everything.

Takumi spread out his legs in front of them and checked his watch again. They should be almost here now if Ayame had successfully bought the tea for her father. He sounded strict… Takumi closed his eyes and let the chirping of the cicadas lull him back into his reminiscence.

He realised that Kanda Ayame was the one for him. He wouldn't be happier with anyone else as long as she still walked this earth. He wanted her to be by his side and himself to be by hers. He had told himself it was now or never.

Then he confessed to her. He did more than confess, he laid out everything and stripped himself back until he was vulnerable to her. He conveyed his feelings to her as honest and transparent as he could. He couldn't give a shit if his words were clumsy or awkward, he just had to tell her. He couldn't deny himself the chance to be together with her. The moment Ayame responded back to his feelings. He was drowning in happiness! He couldn't help but kiss her, and hold her close and kiss her again. She tasted sweet like raspberries and meringue.

' _She knew… she'd been waiting for me to say it…'_

It was as if Ayame's mutual feelings had awakened another feeling in his heart. This feeling made him crave to touch her skin again. He wanted to shower her with more kisses, cook more things for her so he could revel in the bliss she exuded when happily munching on his dishes. Takumi was bent on holding her in his arms again, hugging her, spinning her around and whispering sweet nothings to her ears.

Anxiety wormed its way into his chest. What were they now? Were they going to officially start dating how? Where they boyfriend's and girlfriend's now? What? Now he felt a bit stupid. He had no idea. What did she want them to be? He also had no idea…

The crunching of gravel made him look up and he squinted his eyes to see if there were any vehicles coming. It was a white car slowly approaching him. From the distance, he could make out a lightweight car from the looks of it. It didn't have a car badge at all. It didn't look _too_ illegal… A hand stuck out of the window and was waving to him. Curious, Takumi stood up and shielded his eyes from the sun and tried to take a closer look.

The brick wall like expression on Kuchiyose, the massive sunglasses on Namikaze's face and the delicate long fingers of Ayame waving at him through the window were unmistakable. Takumi waved as well and stepped back as Kuchiyose's car slowed to a smooth stop in front of him.

"What up, _Antonio_ "

Takumi grimaced. "It's Takumi…" he was getting tired of this. Namikaze got out of the car and snickered.

"Sorry we're late, _Otou-san_ is a pain in the arse when he doesn't get his favourite tea" Ayame chuckled.

She got out of the car and walk towards him, giving him a big hug around the middle as he returned the gesture. Her hair was different again today. This time it was up in a messy bun, leaving her fringe free and some of her midnight tresses framing her face. Takumi decided that Ayame looked lovely in any hairstyle.

"That's alright, I didn't wait long" said Takumi. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, eliciting a giggle from Ayame that made his heart tickle. She smelt nice.

"Do I get a European hello too?"

 _"NON!"_ Takumi spun around and held his fist up at Namikaze. She waved him off with a smirk and approached his and Isami's boxes, surveying everything.

"Don't mind her" Ayame leaned up on the tip of her toes and planted a peck on his cheek also, making him blush a bit.

Kuchiyose was the last to get out of the car and unlocked the boot.

"Is this everything?" asked Namikaze, pointing at the stacked boxes.

" _Si"_ said Takumi. There were only six boxes in total. Three for himself and three were Isami's.

"Okay, Chizuru-chan you lift this one over there. Takumi-kun and I will get those ones here and Kuchiyose-kun, could you get the bigger boxes?" said Ayame.

Kuchiyose nodded and Namikaze had already began to balance the box assigned to her in her arms as she hobbled towards the open boot of the car. Kuchiyose hefted one over his right shoulder and Takumi sucked in his breath. He hoped Kuchiyose could make it without dropping them because that particular box was a nightmare to carry. His blank face didn't betray anything except it looked like they weighed nothing to him.

"The boot just fits two small boxes, max. The rest will need to be strapped on top of the roof" said Ayame.

Takumi didn't have a good feeling about this… But he trusted Ayame. Takumi hurried over and grabbed Isami's box whilst Ayame lifted his. The four of them worked together to load the remaining four boxes on the car roof between the roof racks. Kuchiyose, rummaged through the boot and procured a coil of thick ropes and rachet straps. Under Ayame's instructions, he tied the ropes, and rachet straps around the boxes around the side, over front and back, securely to the roof rack. Ayame also ordered Kuchiyose to run the straps through the doors as well because running it through the windows will cause them a lot of pain in getting in and out of the car. Ayame gave every box test pushes and shakes to make sure nothing budged, especially side to side movement. Well, she was studying to become a mechanical and _robotica_ engineer, so these kind of things must be child's play to her, Takumi mused.

"Don't worry, we've safely strapped a tonne of shit to his car before" said Ayame cheerfully, giving him a thumbs up and brilliant smile.

Takumi nodded, wondering what kind of shit she was talking about.

"Alright! Off we go to your newly renovated apartment!" said Ayame excitedly.

"Kuchiyose-san, do you have the address?" asked Takumi, turning towards him.

Kuchiyose tapped his finger against his temple and everyone began piling into the car.

"I call shot gun!" yelled Namikaze as she hopped into the front seat beside the driver's. Takumi hurriedly opened the door for Ayame as she stepped in and he followed through. The interiors of the car was surprisingly clean. He just had the idea that the car would be filled with soccer related things, snack food rubbish and the sort, but he was wrong. After everyone buckled up, Kuchiyose began to reverse out of the large Tootsuki driveway.

It was the moment of truth.

Takumi clutched at his seat belt and gulped. It was like the _illegal-ness_ of the whole situation was snaking around his arms and legs and was afraid he was going to catch it like the common cold. His mind was very aware that Kuchiyose didn't have a license and his _bella_ and the _chiacchierone_ were still completely ok with it. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck. He could believe that Namikaze probably approved of anything illegal, but he couldn't believe Ayame did. Her dad was with the police for the love of Christ! But Takumi was grateful that she and her friends were helping him out today, so he decided to shut his trap.

He felt something intertwine with his fingers. He looked around and Ayame was smiling up at him as she rubbed his hands with her thumb. He smiled back, feeling a lot more at ease.

"Hey, I'm grateful you guys came all this way to help me get my things. _Grazie tante_ " said Takumi, slightly blushing. No one could say that Takumi Aldini was without manners.

"No worries" muttered Namikaze distractly, texting on her phone.

Kuchiyose glanced at Takumi through the rear-view mirror and nodded.

"We all had free time this weekend and I do want to see your apartment" said Ayame "On a side note, I'm entering in this competition for building an alarm clock. The idea is to make one that would _definitely_ get you out of bed in a creative manner. I was wondering if you might have any ideas" said Ayame.

"Hmm, I dunno really. What kind of ideas have you already got?" asked Takumi. He would have better ideas if there were some examples already out there.

"Well I thought of one that is programmed to hide in your room so that when it goes off, you have to get out of bed to look for it and shut it off. Everyday it would be programmed to hide in a different spot" Ayame chuckled. "What do you think?"

"That sounds too hardcore" Takumi laughed quietly. His _bella_ sure came up with crazy and funny ideas.

"Kuchiyose-kun's idea was to make it like a dumbbell. You have to do thirty reps with it to get the alarm to turn off. You wake up and exercise at the same time" said Ayame.

She pulled out a note book from her little side-bag and started writing something in it. Takumi leaned over to take a look and balked at the sketches that looked like blueprints for a bomb. It was incredibly detailed.

"Wow! Did you do all this?" he asked.

"Yep! This is my personal notebook for all my ideas of the things I've built and fixed, and stuff I plan to do" Ayame smiled and showed it to him.

Takumi flicked through and saw different designs for what looked like a remote control car, a toaster, something that looked like one of Nakiri Alice's equipment, a toy robot and finally some alarm clock designs. He thought it looked like a bomb from a quick glance. His stomach was feeling queasy again. Also there were all these numbers and equations scribbled around that he had no idea what they meant.

"Seriously! You should use my idea!" called out Namikaze from the front.

"No. Way" Ayame deadpanned.

"What is it?" asked Takumi curiously.

"Chizuru-chan's suggestion was to connect it to your bank account. Every time you hit the snooze button, you donate money to a political cause you hate" Ayame sighed.

' _That's brutal... no one would buy that'_ thought Takumi.

So far Kuchiyose's driving was gentle and smooth but Takumi couldn't help looking outside to check if there were any police cars lurking about randomly checking drivers' licenses. Takumi peeked through the rear window too, but only saw another normal family car to his relief.

"What kind of car is this?" he asked out of the blue.

" _AE86 Trueno"_ A deep and husky voice suddenly came from the driver's seat.

Takumi had to think twice before he realised that the lilac-haired giant spoke. It was like Kuchiyose was cured from his selective mutism after meeting Nakiri Alice, but was still a work in progress. He had one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting out the open window.

"What's that?" asked Takumi. He didn't know whether he felt comfortable that Kuchiyose was back to talking again or it was better he stayed quiet. Either way, he didn't want the awkward silence.

"…"

He should've known that Kuchiyose had probably reached the end of his quota of words for today…

"It's a type of Toyota Corolla. Pretty old though" Ayame spoke for Kuchiyose who turned the corner smoothly.

"Ah okay" Takumi didn't know much about cars, but he did know the common Japanese make.

"Hey _Antonio,_ when is your brother coming back?" asked Namikaze from the front.

"Isami? He'll arrive at Narita airport on Monday morning… and it's _Takumi_ " said Takumi. Why did she like calling him random Italian names? He was half Japanese as well and he was pretty sure she already knew that.

He heard Namikaze mutter something, but chose to ignore it. Instead he turned his attention towards Ayame. Her skin was smooth to the touch and he couldn't help but stroke his thumb over her hand as well. This caught her by surprise and she blushed under his touch. Takumi smiled. Ayame gave his hand a little squeeze back.

Soon the apartment building crept up from the distance and the car slowed to a stop in front of it. Kuchiyose twisted around and rested his left hand on the back of Namikaze's seat as he turned his head to look out the rear view window. Takumi realised his arms were quite long and his hand was big, easily crossing over the car's mid-line. Kuchiyose began to reverse park with one hand until it fitted perfectly into the parking spot.

Takumi rated his driving as excellent. But he still wouldn't get in the car again, at least not until he got himself a license and proved it.

They all climbed out and Kuchiyose unlocked the boot and unstrapped the boxes on the roof rack for everyone to take up their assigned boxes. Everyone hobbled into the foyer where Takumi spotted the elevator and pressed the button for level three with his elbow. As they waited for the elevator to come down. The gang placed their load on the ground.

"Has anyone heard that, that _shouten_ down in Mitsumiya wardis closed down for remodeling?" asked Ayame.

"Yeah, I think it's because they changed management or something like that. Isn't that where you usually get your sports drinks from Kuchiyose-kun?" said Namikaze.

He nodded.

"There's another supermarket in Karakura town?" asked Takumi, curious to know about what they were talking about.

"More like a little corner store than a supermarket. It's old though. Not many people go shopping in Mitsumiya ward. I used to buy candy there when I was in elementary school" Ayame sighed, a dreamy expression taking over her face.

 _Ding!_

Everyone picked up their assigned boxes and stepped into the elevator, being mindful to try and not to squash one another. Once the door closed, the elevator slowly churned and began moving up.

"I never really liked that corner store, the owner and the people that work there were kind of creepy" said Namikaze, scrunching her nose.

 _Ding!_

Takumi led them out the elevator and down to the end of the hall, put down his box and unlocked the door. Once they all made it inside, the smell of shaven plaster and dried paint hit them in the face with full force. Takumi immediately coughed ad tried to cover his noise by tucking it against his shoulder.

"Nice place you got here. How much do you guys pay a month?" asked Ayame.

"192,263.16 yen per month" said Takumi.

"Aya! Not bad" she looked certainly impressed. "This is really spacious, Takumi-kun. You and your brother are really lucky to score a place like this so close to your academy, Ah! The kitchen looks gorgeous!" said Ayame.

" _Si_ , the landlady is kind to us and allowed us to pay at a student rate. I'm going to open the windows" Takumi went to open up all the windows and was relieved to feel fresh air billowing in to carry the heavy smell of the new renovation out. Ayame and Kuchiyose went to the bedrooms and bathroom to open the windows as well. Soon the place will stop smelling like a factory outlet.

A rattling sound got Takumi's attention and he turned around to find Ayame trying to open the sliding door of the balcony but with no success. Oh he forgot about that.

"Do you have the keys for this?" asked Ayame.

"Nope, our landlady lost it a long time ago, before Isami and I came here. She's been lazy to make another copy of the key" Takumi sighed with his hands on his hips.

"That's a shame. If you guys get a couple of chairs and a garden table, it would make a great reading spot on a sunny weekend" she said.

"Yeah, it would. Isami and I have always wanted enjoy a cup of coffee out—" Takumi stopped when Kuchiyose brushed him aside.

The silent giant crouched down and peered at the lock. Next he took out a rolled cloth from under the back of his jacket and unfurled it revealing an array of different sized metal needles but with different sized hooks, shapes and flat ends. What were they? Takumi watched warily as Kuchiyose stared at the lock and proceeded to insert two different metal needles into the lock and gently jiggled it about.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" Takumi couldn't hold in his disbelief anymore as he yelled at Kuchiyose.

Soon enough, with a quick twist of his wrist, the sound of a flicking lock rang out in the apartment and the sliding doors were forcibly pushed open with a sickening creak as it hadn't open in years. A blast of cool breeze brushed cross his face.

"WHAT THE HELL?! You do lock-picking too?! Who carries lock-picking tools with them on hand?!" Takumi gripped his hair, yelling at Kuchiyose, who only locked down on him with a withering look and packed away his lock picking tools, and slipped it into the back of his jacket.

"You're welcome, _Antonio_ " Namikaze snickered.

Takumi sighed. These people were _nutjobs_. "And you're ok with this?" he turned to Ayame, looking at her imploringly.

"Haha, yeah. To be completely honest, Kuchiyose-kun hardly ever needs to lock-pick anything really." she smiled at him.

' _That didn't make me feel better in the least...'_

Takumi forced a smile and decided not to question it, lest his wits snap. and walked out into the balcony. Hardly ever does it huh? That could still cover a range of things he _would_ lock-pick. He could hear every little noise down below including people talking and the traffic. This was the first time in five years, he stood out on the balcony and it felt great.

"So what do want us to do?" asked Ayame, stretching her arms over her head and leaned up on her toes, to catch the breeze in her hair.

Takumi thought for a moment.

"Umm, you can put away pantry items and my kitchen utensils for me. Namikaze-san, you can put away mine and Isami's school books just in our bedroom bookshelves if that's ok with you. My room is on the left and his is on the right. Kuchiyose-san, you could put away the bathroom stuff. Just chuck everything in the cabinet and the linen cupboard is just over there" Takumi pointed out the different places around the apartment for them to find.

Soon everyone made their way around the apartment, opening boxes and putting away his things. Takumi grabbed his box of clothes and followed Namikaze into his bedroom. She started ripping open the boxes and lining up his books on the empty shelf, humming to herself as he placed his clothes box onto his old mattress. Takumi felt the need to walk on eggshells again. He didn't know why, he just did.

"So you and Ayame-chan are together now huh? Congratulations" said Namikaze slyly beside his old study desk, placing his notebooks into the desk drawers.

Now he knew why he felt eggshells under his feet.

"Uh… yeah, she told you?" he asked, hanging up one by one, his collection of waistcoats.

"Well, duh. You didn't think she'd tell me?" she said. It sounded more like a patronising statement than a question.

"I really like Ayame-san" Takumi turned to her, after hanging his last waistcoat in the closet.

Namikaze stopped shelving his books and turned to him. Her eyes looked back at him cheekily and he sensed that it was just a cover and something serious was brewing behind her eyes. The corner of her lips curved into that shit-eating grin again.

"I know you do. You are far better than any of the losers that chase after Ayame-chan behind the shadows, too scared to approach her. I think they're more scared of her dad and her brains more than anything" she said crossing her arms and leaning against his study desk beside the bookcase. Takumi thought she muttered 'misogynistic cowards' under her breath, but he wasn't sure.

"I want to do everything I can to make her happy. She's the first girl I've ever—"

"Just stop" she held up her hand to him with a disgusted look on her face "Don't suck up to me, it's not impressionable and super-lame. I've already told you the first time we met, you have my blessings. Be a man and accept it. But you're unconvinced anyway. I like that. Shows that you have a brain"

Takumi held his tongue. He had always thought it was normal to try to be on the girlfriend's best friend good books. He was well aware of the influence a girl's best friend could have on a budding romantic relationship. 'Chicks before dicks' as the girls in Tootsuki would say from time to time. The fact that Namikaze seemed to have a sixth sense for when a man tried to wheedle things was downright formidable. He felt a growing sense of some respect for Namikaze sprouting from the bottom drawer of his mind. However that didn't mean he no longer found her annoying.

"That's a whole lot easier for me then. I'll be clearer" Takumi said resolutely back at her. "I'm not going to let anyone ruin anything between Ayame-san and I"

"Including me and Kuchiyose-kun. I get it, I read the subtext" she smirked back at him.

There was some sort of balance established between himself and Namikaze now. He could feel it. The eggshells around him gradually disappeared as it became more apparent that both he and Namikaze knew exactly where they were regarding Ayame. As long as she understood that he intended to make Ayame the happiest girl on earth, he really didn't give a damn about what her friend's thought, to be honest. At least he attempted to get along with them in the first place. But Takumi was no fool that everything would be completely dandy and fine from now on with Ayame while _they_ were around. He and Ayame's relationship could potentially derail catastrophically as soon as Namikaze or Kuchiyose had an inkling that he was no longer good enough for her.

' _I don't intend to ever let that happen'_.

"Relax _Antonio_. You'll get wrinkles. Your heart is true and I couldn't wish a better person for Ayame-chan. Any friend of hers is a friend of mine and _don't_ tell her I said that. Kuchiyose-kun and I have your back too even if it takes you a while to get your head around that idea"

"R-Right…" said Takumi dumbly as he put away his school uniform, not really knowing what to say to that weirdly positive declaration.

"You should be more worried about Ayame-chan's dad" said Namikaze more amiably as she resumed placing his books and mementos in no particular order on his study desk and shelf.

"Her dad?" he asked.

"She's told you he's the Superintendent General of the TMDP right? That's got to give you more than enough clues to what he's like" she snickered.

Takumi shivered.

"I guess I'll m-meet him when the time comes" said Takumi. He heard Namikaze mutter something, but chose to ignore it.

"Anyway, finished with your stuff, I'll move onto your brother's room. Hmm, glad we had this talk. Although you didn't have to try and set up a situation for us to be alone together purely for this conversation. Just come and talk to me like a normal person, you dork."

Takumi harrumphed at her, his face turning beet red. Like hell, he could ever talk to her like she was a _normal_ person. Not with that abhorrent personality! He could hear her yelling for Kuchiyose to help her move in his brother's clothes to the next bedroom.

' _Easier said than done, you short-stack…'_

Takumi spent another hour sorting out his clothes and undergarments, putting them away. He was brought from his musings when someone rapped on his bedroom door.

"Done with the kitchen and tidying up the bathroom with Kuchiyose-kun. There were still some plaster shavings around a bit, so I cleaned that up" said Ayame, popping in from the door.

Takumi turned around and dumped the last of his undergarments into his drawer. "Ah, _grazie_ " he smiled at her.

Ayame skipped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in and kissed him on the nose. Takumi chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to pepper soft kisses on her cheeks. She smelt like sunshine, with still some hints of cleaning detergent from tidying up the bathroom.

"So you're going to pick up your brother on Monday at the airport, right?" asked Ayame.

 _"Si,_ I need to help him carry some of his luggage. He said he's bringing back a lot of souvenirs this time" said Takumi leading her over to his bare mattress so they could have a rest and sit on it for a bit. Suddenly he turned to Ayame and took hold of her hand, stroking his thumb over her knuckles.

"I want you to meet my brother" he said.

"Um… yeah! Whenever is good with me. Do you think he'll like me?" she asked smiling.

"Of course! Isami will definitely like you. I tell him about you all the time" said Takumi blushing.

"Not the embarrassing stuff right?" Ayame lightly punched him in the arm.

"I told him about how terrible you are at cooking" Takumi smirked at her.

"You jerk!" Ayame made to punch him in the arm again, but he caught her fist and tugged her towards him and caught her lips in a swift kiss. He lifted his other hand to caress her face. She slightly parted her lips as she sighed dreamily. Takumi pulled her onto his lap, loving the little squeal she emitted and how her arms reflexively curled around his neck. He rubbed his nose against her cheek breathing in her scent and listening to her giggle before peppering small kisses on her jaw line. Ayame nudged his face up and he kissed her lovingly on the lips, slipping his tongue inside, tasting that sweet raspberry and meringue that was so _Ayame_.

"For fuck's safe, I leave you for an hour and _this_ happens" Takumi threw himself back, his face exploding like a volcano and gaped at the smirking Namikaze by the door. Kuchiyose was there busy texting something, looking less caring.

"I… W-we're—It's n-not" Takumi floundered his hands around, raking up every single excuse to save both his and Ayame's embarrassment for getting caught canoodling while he broke into a mental fit.

"Kuchiyose-kun and I are driving into Karakura honchou to bring back some lunch. I'd asked what you guys want, but I guess _Antonio's_ tongue down your throat is nutritious enough" she snickered.

"WHAT THE HELL! It wasn't like that!" Takumi sprang from the bed accidentally causing Ayame to tumble on the other side of the mattress and brandished his fist at the _troll_.

"Chizuru-chan! That's not funny!" Ayame yelled at her as well.

"I'll bring back some takeaway- _bentous_. Behave while we're gone" she said in a sing-song voice as she disappeared from the door with Kuchiyose in tow, swinging his car keys around.

When Takumi finally heard the front door shut, he slumped to his knees and fist pumped the air "I'll get her for this…!" he seethed, his eyes brimming with vengeance for that little obnoxious troll.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one who wants to strangle her" Ayame sighed as she fell back onto the empty mattress. Takumi looked back at her from his spot on the carpet. "What were you and Chizuru-chan talking about earlier?" she asked still lying down.

Takumi was surprised that Ayame overheard them in his room. The apartment wasn't that big to begin with, it was only two bedrooms, so he guessed he shouldn't be surprised at all actually.

"Nothing much. Just reaching a mutual understanding about things." He said, getting up and dusting his knees.

"When you say 'mutual' it's like she's bullying you and you getting your butt kicked?" Ayame chortled, still not moving from the mattress.

" _Impossibile! L_ -like that could ever happen!"

Takumi stood in front of her and pulled her up by the wrists, while she dangled about. He chuckled and jerked her up higher so that her body slumped against his instead of backwards. He took her hand and led themselves out onto the balcony to enjoy the view and the breeze, while they waited for her friends to return.

* * *

It was just past noon when Namikaze and Kuchiyose lumbered back, beholding numerous plastic bags of food up to their elbows. Ayame immediately ran over to ransack one of the bags much to Takumi's amusement.

The whole group conglomerated around his coffee table, spreading out their bounty for the day while they sat around it on the floor. Everyone fitted comfortably around except for Kuchiyose, who was way too tall for the coffee table, so he opted to sit up on the sofa instead. The two misfits had brought back an abundance of food, mostly Kuchiyose's share as he ate a lot. There were stacks of take-away _bentou_ from the supermarket, some junk food and bottles of iced tea for each person. They had started chatting about their plans for the week and the week after that, like how the usual group conversations would flow.

Takumi had decided that tomorrow, he would sort out the details of the apartment, like buying more food to stock the fridge, make room for _limoncello_ , do the bed-sheets, get air freshener and vacuum the carpet. He wanted to make the place felt lived-in and homely again for Isami's return. Ayame and her friends invited themselves to stay after lunch to clean the windows, dust around and dispose of the cardboard boxes. He was eternally grateful to them.

"This is pretty good" said Takumi munching on his _bentou_.

"Yeah, I always like these _bentous_ from the supermarket." said Ayame.

Ayame was eating a _teriyaki_ salmon _bentou_ , while Kuchiyose was on his third _karaage_ chicken bentou. Meanwhile, he was eating a _tempura bentou_ and Namikaze was eating things willy-nilly after she finished her super-spicy _korokke_ _bentou_. She ate like a little child. Going for most of the snacks.

"Chizuru-chan likes to eat really spicy food. She won't really eat anything else" said Ayame, nudging him in the arm. She must've noticed he was gawking. Takumi found it hard to believe. It was summer and she wasn't even sweating from her spicy _bentou_. That couldn't be natural.

"How come?" he asked Namikaze as she guzzled her iced-tea without shame.

"I like food that bites back" she simply said, texting on her phone and sticking a _pocky_ into her mouth. It was one of those thin biscuits dipped in chocolate that Isami was obsessed over.

"What kinds of food do you like to eat, Kuchiyose-san?" asked Takumi.

He pointed to his empty _bentou_ boxes with his chopsticks.

"Everything actually. Kuchiyose-kun likes to eat anything that moves" Ayame teased from beside him.

Kuchiyose rolled his eyes at her before getting up and disappearing into the bathroom.

Takumi kept these little bits of information for safe-keeping. He was very grateful that Ayame and her friends came to help him move in his and Isami's things. Including Kuchiyose driving up here _illegally_ and unlocking his balcony door _illegally_ and he hoped to the Roman Gods those two didn't buy their lunch with counterfeit money. Takumi's imagination was running away with him so he pulled himself back. He had to do something to show his gratitude, especially since Namikaze claimed she and Kuchiyose were now his friends by default because of Ayame. He thought about what kind of things he could cook for those two as a thank you.

"Oh yeah, how much money do I owe you guys?" asked Takumi, reaching over for his wallet, trying to estimate how much his _bentou_ and some of the snacks and drinks cost.

"Don't worry about it. Our treat" said Namikaze, waving him off like it was nothing.

"A-are you sure? You and Kuchiyose-san bought a lot of food…" said Takumi, eyeing the mounting rubbish.

"Don't make me say it again" Namikaze bit out, not lifting her eyes from her smart phone.

"Umm _, grazie…"_ Takumi relented and placed his wallet back into his pocket. He felt Ayame pat him on the knees and beamed up at him.

" _Grazie di cuore. Thank you so much, mio bella"_ Takumi leaned over and kissed his sweetheart on the cheek, eliciting an adorable blush from her, thankful also that Namikaze was too absorbed with her phone to notice.

"No worries, sweetie"

"I MEANT THAT FOR AYAME! NOT YOU!"

* * *

 **Whatever shenanigans Kuchiyose, Namikaze or Ayame get up to, DON'T TRY THEM AT HOME. Lock picking is frowned upon, so no. Driving without a license is also a DEFINITE NO. Strapping a tonne of shit to the top of your cars is probably not a good idea too :/... borrow a second car... With Ayame & Co. You've probably realised by now, and if not later, that they have blurry boundaries when it comes to almost everything.**

 **I hope you guys are continuing to enjoy Takumi and Ayame & Co.'s presence in the story. Tootsuki students aren't the only people out there who are a bit screwed up in the head hahaha! Takumi is in need of a bit of madness outside of the cooking world.**

 **I hope you like this chapter! I'd love to hear from you. See you in 5 days!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	10. Welcome Home, Isami!

_Chapter 10 – Welcome Home, Isami!_

* * *

 _KING! KONG! KANG!_

" _Flight JP675 now arriving to Gate twenty-seven. I repeat, Flight JP675 now arriving to Gate twenty seven. Flight attendants, doors to arrival, crosscheck and all-call"_

Takumi bounced his knees up and down from his seat at the arrival zone of gate twenty seven for flight number JP675. That was Isami's flight number. He had made sure that he got there at least two hours early to make sure that he made it on time for his brother's arrival. It was a humid day and Takumi opted for his plain beige shirt with the medieval styled lacing done at the front, a pair of chinos and his fedora. Excitement coursed through him and he couldn't help fidgeting, opening and closing his flip phone to check the time over and over and realising that one-minute passing wasn't going to make a difference in the waiting game.

Takumi pulled out some garlic bread from a paper bag and nibbled on it. It was the same garlic bread that he had made for himself and Ayame that night when he confessed to her. Granted it was a little bit stale, but it was still garlic bread. Living a life on student income was exactly what one would expect. Besides, he didn't have enough time to eat a proper breakfast, so he just grabbed whatever that didn't expire in the newly furnished apartment on the way to the airport.

He could still remember Ayame scrunching her face in dismay when she found out he even packed _left over garlic bread_ to move back with him to the apartment.

He was a bit embarrassed...

Hushed and frantic whispers caught his ears. He wiped the crumbs of the garlic bread from his lips and looked over to spot a group of teenage girls, about his age, giggling and whispering to each other. When their eyes met, they instantly gasped and squealed, shyly waving at him whilst holding onto each other.

He cautiously smiled back at them, not wanting something to start and checked the time on his phone again.

' _Mamma mia…'_

It was a good hour and a half before the first set of passengers started strolling down from the arrival ramp and some family members and friends who had been waiting alongside him leapt to their feet and anxiously scrutinised from the taped off area for their loved one who would be arriving. Takumi got to his feet also, gently pushing his way to the front to catch any sight of Isami.

Fifteen minutes later, he spied a tall figure with wild, dark hair lugging two large suitcase down the arrival ramp.

"Takumi!"

"Isami!"

The two brother's hugged as soon as Isami was clear over the taped off arrival line and gave Takumi the biggest hug, lifting the blonde brother clear off the ground.

"I missed you Takumi! I hope you've been taking care of yourself without me, I know you're hopeless at that" Isami winked at him, leaning against his heavy luggage.

Takumi didn't have the heart to scold his brother's attempt to cheekily belittle him because he was just too overjoyed to greet him back to Japan.

"I'll have you know that we moved our things back to the apartment, so that you wouldn't have to as soon as you got back" Takumi slapped him on the shoulder.

"We?" said the taller brother with confusion.

 _Ops._

"Ah… uh-uh, A-Ayame and her f-friends helped me out…" Takumi felt his cheeks heating up. God damn his incapacity to remain cool and composed in front of Isami!

Isami's lips curled into a cheeky fiend. "You have _lots_ to tell me, _fratello_ "

"Not right now… lets head home first, you must be tired" said Takumi trying to deflect his brother.

"Nah, I'm cool. I slept on the plane so I won't get jet lag today at least." Isami smiled back.

The two Aldini brothers made their way to the arrival exits and Takumi insisted on pushing the luggage trolley for Isami. He underestimated the weight, but powered through with little complaint before Isami sighed and suggested they each take a luggage before Takumi popped out a ball-and-socket joint. He was ecstatic that he brought back _limoncello_ and other assortments of Italian products that made him feel homesick. Isami regaled his stories in _lingua Italiana,_ the Italian language, of helping out _Trattoria Aldini. T_ he good, the bad, the ugly and the especially knee-slapping funny stories of customers. Isami's exuberant _lingua Italiana_ caught the attention of a lot of passersby who turned their heads and casted the side-eye at the two Italian brothers. Takumi listened with rapt attention, drinking in all of Isami's stories and he could clearly picture exactly how his _Mamma, Pappa_ and uncle would say things, according to what Isami recounted. It was like spiritually; he was back in _Firenze_. Isami did not take a single breath as he moved onto his self-training to inherit _Trattoria Aldini_ alongside his older twin and he could feel himself burst with pride for his dear brother.

"—and also _Nonna_ and _Nonno_ came down to visit. They were disappointed that you didn't come back to _Italia_ with me" said Isami, waving his arms about.

"Ah. I miss them too. Hey Isami, I hired the Tootsuki courtesy bus to drive us back to our apartment" said Takumi.

"Eh? Really? I didn't know their courtesy buses would go as far as Narita airport" Isami gasped.

"Isshiki-senpai authorised it" said Takumi.

The two brothers finally exited the airport and slowly made their way towards where the Tootsuki courtesy bus was parked, weaving through the crowd. Takumi narrowed his eyes. A tuft of crimson-red hair came into view above the crowd. No way… it couldn't be…

"YUKIHIRA!?"

"Hmm? Oh hey Takumi, Isami! What a coincident meeting you guys here!"

The dopy grin, the sloppy shirt, and a bright blue neck pillow made it clear that Takumi was not hallucinating and that it was really, the God forsaken, Yukihira Souma standing next to the courtesy bus.

"Wh-What are you doing here?"

"I just got back from Kyouto. I was on my way from the domestic terminal to look for a taxi but I spotted the Tootsuki bus and wanted to check out if I could hitch a ride back to the Polar Star dorms" said the maverick chef with a cheesy grin.

"I'm the one who ordered the bus. But yes, you can come aboard too" Takumi sighed. He would never admit in a million years that he actually _missed_ the _bastardo_ Yukihira. But a deep part of him told him that his time during the summer holidays at Tootsuki was a tad incomplete without Yukihira Souma.

"Sweet. Thanks, Takumi. You're ace!" said Yukihira. The bus driver proceeded to heft the luggage into the back and the trio climbed onto the mini bus. It was pre-air-conditioned and Takumi was eternally grateful for that. Soon they were off onto the highway back to Minamikawase ward in Karakura town. Takumi scooted forward and asked the bus driver to take Yukihira back to Polar Star dorms property as well once Isami and himself were dropped off.

Takumi turned around and found Yukihira's stupid face pressed into his.

"Sooooo… I heard you got yourself a nice lady-friend, aye?" he wiggled his eyebrows at him.

' _Sono morto…_ _I'm dead'_

"How the _fuck_!? How the _FUCK_ did you find out about that?!" Takumi screeched at him.

Mortification, fear, anger and other indescribable and torrential emotions tumble-dried through his body. That was insanely private information! And it didn't help that he was openly snickering at him, just short of guffawing like a maniac.

"Your brother Isami told me about that" revealed Yukihira.

" _Cazzo!_ Fuck! Isami, how could you!" Takumi clenched his fists around his soon-to-be-dead brother's collared shirt and shook him about, but the brunette Italian just laughed merrily at his brother's flustered state.

"Ah, Yukihira-kun and I have been exchanging some postcards during the summer holidays. I might've mentioned you in one or two?" said Isami, unravelling Takumi's fingers from the collar of his jumper.

"Yeah, Isami's the only person who responds back to my postcards. All you other guys suck. I put a return address there for the place I'm staying at then one I'd be going to next for a reason you know" Yukihira complained childishly.

"What did you expect? Everyone is busy even in the summer holidays. You probably haven't heard, there's going to be a _**Summer Solstice Festival**_ the school is organising. It's a new thing, but similar to the Moon Banquet Festival" said Takumi.

"Is that so? That's awesome, I always love a good festival. But getting back onto the matter at hand. Is this your girl?" Yukihira flipped open a phone in his hand and showed it to Takumi.

It was a wallpaper background of Ayame, himself, Namikaze and Kuchiyose. Namikaze had insisted they took a selfie after they finished having lunch on the day they were moving his and Isami's things back into the newly renovated apartment, to commemorate the event. Ayame's arms were around his waist and his right arm was lightly around her shoulder. They were standing between a hunching Kuchiyose and an overly exuberant Namikaze who was taking the photo. It was obvious who Yukihira was referring to.

It suddenly clicked.

"Get your grubby paws off my phone, Yukihira!" Takumi tried to grapple his flip phone back from the chortling maverick, but his face was caught in the red-head's palm who pushed him back at arms-length, leaving him to swipe aimlessly in the air. He didn't even notice Yukihira has somehow nicked it from his pocket! Takumi himself would've found the whole scene comical in a third party viewing if he wasn't so enraged and embarrassed at being the target of the cruel joke at the same time.

"Man, she's super pretty. Nice catch, mate" smirked Yukihira.

Takumi would shoot him down with laser pointer eyes if he could spontaneously do so. Yukihira's incessant annoying behaviour was grating on his nerves to its last leg and he contemplated just throwing him overboard the bus and let him be roadkill. Isami was looking over the back of his seat at Takumi's phone still sitting comfortable in Yukihira's grasp, also silently appraising the photo much to the blonde Italian's embarrassment.

Finally, Takumi was able to snatch the phone back and pressed it desperately to his chest, away from his brother's and maniac-rival's prying eyes. His face felt like molten rocks. He flipped it open again to make sure there was no damage to it or the keychain strap but as soon as he did, he found himself mesmerised by Ayame's smiling face at the wallpaper background Namikaze had sent. She and Kuchiyose had exchanged numbers with him on the spot as soon as the selfie was taken.

"Who is she? She looks cute" Isami commented from beside him, pointing to Namikaze who was giving the victory sign.

"A friend of Ayame's. Trust me… she's _anything_ but cute" groaned Takumi, giving Isami a look that conveyed how creeped out he was for Isami's preference for the annoying _chiacchierone._

"Don't worry, _fratello_. I'm with Bianca now" smiled Isami.

"Huh? _Bianca Bonavita?_ How did that happen? You are here and she's back in _Roma_ "

"Like I said before, she came to _Firenze_ for a week and we hung out a lot. One thing led to another and now... we're together! We've decided to work out a long distance relationship. _Dio mio!_ She's so beautiful and to think she still loves me till this day since middle school and I never knew~" Isami's face melted into a pure dreamy bliss. Such happiness shined from him and Takumi was glad that his brother was able to feel the intoxicating pleasure of _amore_ too, but couldn't help worry about Isami's and Bianca's potential trajectory of a long distance relationship.

"Man, you guys got girls already. I'm so jealous. That's probably expected from Italians" Yukihira's yawned from behind the _Aldini Fratelli._

"Really? I didn't think you'd have trouble forming romantic relationships since you seem to have all sorts of encounters with girls" said Isami.

"I dunno, most of them hate my guts" Yukihira shrugged his shoulders.

Three girls probably wanted him dead at best. Nakiri Erina being the top of the list. Nonetheless, Takumi was suprised at Yukihira would worry about such things. He had always thought Yukihira was pretty much asexual. He was so laid-back, almost too chill to function and was extremely easy going with everyone he meets, including challengers and rivals of any gender. Not only that, Takumi had reservations on his ability to read the mood. For example, a guy needed to know the real definition of the phrase for when a girl said _'Fine then...', 'Ok...' or 'Nothing...'_. Ayame had yet to say any of these in the suspicious and misleading manner, but Yukihira would be nuked if he he ever had to encounter it. Because of his inability to read the mood, it often got him into all sorts of trouble and misunderstandings with the opposite sex. Especially Nakiri Erina whom he rubbed the wrong way. But he guessed Souma was a teenage guy too... at some point, some girl had the potential to... _butter his parsnip._

"So about this _**Summer Solstice Festival**_?" said Isami, changing the topic into a lighter one.

Takumi blinked a few times to gather his thoughts. "Ah yeah, that's all there is to it really. Everyone has to create a booth just like the Moon Banquet Festival and showcase their best menu to the community and make a profit to avoid expulsion. The same locations will be in play like last time. We're using this time _Asagao_ tickets which equate to ten thousand yen, strawberry tickets which are a thousand yen and melon tickets which are five hundred yen"

"Hmmm. I wonder why our school is holding this _**Summer Solstice Festival**_ when it's pretty much the same as the Moon Banquet Festival" Yukihira wondered aloud.

"I'm sure it's another training event. Everyone in Karakura town, Naruki City and any other surrounding towns are all invited. But I heard one thing that's different. There's a rumour that there are going to be huge investors and scouts from different food companies there too" said Takumi.

"What the hell for?" scoffed Yukihira. Takumi was used to his defiance for the upper echelon of the culinary world.

Takumi and Isami just gave each other shrugs and a fist bump, a clear understanding the two will create their _Trattoria Aldini_ stall together.

"Forget the investors and scouts. Crikey. This is my chance to settle the score with Kuga once and for all before the guy graduates" said Yukihira, as he laced his fingers behind his head.

"You are still hung up on that?" asked Takumi, remembering meeting the mischievous Terunori Kuga and the rest of the Elite members.

"Duh, in the Moon Banquet last year, he beat me for the first four days and if it wasn't for all you guys, Mimasaka, Nikumi, Megumi's RS and my friend back in my town, Megumi and I couldn't have won the fifth and final day" said Yukihira. "So of course I gotta beat him again, because he said he wouldn't have a _shokugeki_ with me until I surpass him completely at his own game"

" _Uno momento per favoure!_ I'm your one true rival and don't you ever forget that!" Takumi almost climbed over the back of his seat in an undignified fashion to punch his message to Yukihira's thick head. "The only reason why I helped you was because you looked desperate and there was no way I would let you lose five out of five days before our _duello_ " Takumi crossed his arms and huffed back in his seat, hunching over his shoulders in half-hearted contempt.

"Sure, sure. I hear you" said Yukhira jovially.

"That reminds me, there are still five empty spots on the Elite Ten available isn't there? Because the first, second, third, fourth and fifth seat graduated last March" said Isami, shuffling back into his seat to get comfortable for their long drive back to Karakura Town.

"Yeah, that's right. Where do we sign up or apply for that?" said Yukihira excitedly.

" _Stupido!_ You do realise one does not simply _apply_ for the Elite Ten!" Takumi couldn't believe the thickness of Yukihira. "You get _chosen_ for it and even then you need to satisfy a list of criteria. They look at your academic grades, your achievements from events like training camps, contributions towards the academy itself and most importantly of all, your _shokugeki_ records" said Takumi, counting everything off in his fingers and then crossing his arms as he resumed facing the front.

"Meh, I'm not doing too bad in those criteria. I reckon I got a good running chance" said Yukihira. Takumi felt the blood vessel on his temple throbbing. He was so nonchalant, it wasn't even funny anymore.

"Hey, you'll come with me won't you?" Yukihira said airly, as if he was about ready to go to sleep.

"Come with you where?"

"To take the Elite ten seats" said Yukihira.

If there was one thing about Yukihira that stood out above all else, it was his bloodhound like thirst for conquering the culinary world. Takumi remembered the opening day speech he drawled out as if it were yesterday. He spoke foolishly about using the rest of the students as his stepping stones to reach the top. Look at them now. Some of the students were indeed the stepping stones and Yukihira made no apologies whatsoever to get to where he was. Riding on the back of his failures and whipping them into successes. Not only that, he spoke out _exactly_ what the other shining crowns of their generation were thinking.

 _Everyone carried the same ambition. Yukihira was no different._

"No need to say that. Of course I will take the Elite Ten seats, whether you're there with me or not" Takumi smirked.

A lot had happened since the first year. Training camps, competitions, stagiares and assessments thrown left, right and centre designed to cull all the second rate chef and true to that, the kitchens were slowly becoming less crowded over the years. Everyone's talent grew massively and learnt a lot from each other from both successes and defeats.

Then second year came around and everything started to calm down, but the workload increased, making everyone keep up on their toes.

Then _destino_ brought him Ayame.

It was like a new blossoming stage of his life had opened up and took a both pleasant and nerve-racking little tangent off his road of culinary success. The timing couldn't have been better as it was summer holidays and he was glad he took the liberty to creep out of his figurative cooking pot and enjoy himself a bit in things that Tootsuki lifestyle wouldn't have allowed.

He met a beautiful and smart _bella_ , whom he was now together with, an obnoxious midget with a mild case of Tourette's syndrome and a selectively mute driving felon. And he thought Tootsuki was the only place filled with crazy people.

"Hey _Fratello,_ how does our new kitchen look?" asked Isami from beside him, who looked like he couldn't wait to be home and see for himself.

"Oh yeah, you haven't actually seen it have you. I got some pictures here" Takumi flipped open his phone and clicked through the many pictures of their newly renovated apartment, the ones he didn't have enough data to spare and send to Isami.

"Great! We have a kitchen island now. That will be handy" Isami smiled from ear to ear. Takumi nodded with him and scrolled past some more pictures.

"What's this about a new kitchen?" asked Yukihira, who bounced up onto the back of Takumi's seat and mischievously peered over his shoulders.

"Our landlady had been renovating our apartment and had just installed a new kitchen and bathroom. I thought I already told you all this as soon as we moved into the main dorms, Yukihira" said Takumi.

"Meh, I forgot. Anyways, can I come over and have a look?" he said, looking like a very excited child.

"If you want…"

"Great. I'll just hop off with you guys" said Yukihira.

"W-Wait, what are you going to do with your luggage?" asked Takumi, a bit perplexed.

"You guys got a guest room, right?" Yukihira countered back.

"Hold it Yukihira! You're not thinking of staying the night are you? You can't just invite yourself in whenever you feel like it" Takumi decided to turn around in his seat rather than try and climb over the back.

" _Fratello_ , I'm sure it will be fine. Yukihira-kun could use the sofa, since we don't actually have a guest room" said Isami, surprisingly calm.

"I knew you'd be on my side" Yukihira gave brunette Italian an air hi-five much to Takumi's annoyance.

" _Ciò che vuoi..._ Do what you want... _"_ Takumi muttered, since it was now two against one. He folded his arms and conceded to pouting.

Soon they finally arrived to the main apartment blocks in Minamikawase. It was now close to noon and Isami couldn't help galloping around the front of the apartment block as if he hadn't seen the place in forever. Takumi internally chuckled. Isami was sometimes like a little kid despite being a tough chef. Yukihira thanked the Tootsuki courtesy bus driver and proceeded to drag his lone luggage case and his knife case over the shoulder with him after the two brothers into the foyer of the apartment building. Then it was Yukihira's turn to tell stories about his cooking adventure/holiday all across Japan with his middle school friends. No wonder why he was sending out postcards to people from different places. Takumi couldn't remember which place his was sent from and he didn't really care for it really.

Isami listened intently to the red-head's more recent trip and provided comments every now and again as Takumi fumbled with the apartment keys, finally able to insert it into the key hole.

"-So anyway we caught this huge bass at Lake Kawaguchi and it was thiiiiiii-"

"SURPRISE!"

"WAAAH!"

Takumi got the fright of his life and elbowed Yukihira in the face as soon as a mass of kaleidoscopic colours flashed before his eyes, which he swore could induce seizures. The door swung open on its own accord and revealed streamers, balloons and piles of food and drinks everywhere.

"A-Ayame?!" Takumi blanched, spotting the smiling girl in front of him. What was she doing here?! And why was Namikaze and Kuchiyose here too?! Takumi rubbed his eyes to make sure this was real life and it certainly was no matter how many times he rubbed them out.

"Welcome home! You must be Isami-san. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kanda Ayame" Ayame went over and shook hands with an equally shocked Isami.

"H-Hi…?" he shook her hand on autopilot, but still maintaining his usual light demeanour.

"I know you've just got off the plane and are probably peckish because we all know airplane food is disgusting. So we've prepared some take-out from the best of Karakura honchou. So please relax and enjoy yourself" Ayame threw her hands towards the masses of takeaway _bentou_ boxes on the coffee table and bottles of ice tea on the kitchen bench.

"Eh? Really? That's so thoughtful of you" Isami smiled, instantly relaxing. He crinkled his eyes in mirth, conveying to Takumi he knew _exactly_ who this girl was. " _Fratello,_ don't ever let her go. She's knows how to take care of people" he said turning to his older twin.

Takumi grumbled to himself, not knowing what to do since Isami and Ayame were introduced so soon in a less than ideal situation, and he couldn't even get over his embarrassment that Yukihira had to be here.

"Hey there, I'm Yukihira Souma. You've probably heard a lot about me" Yukihira recovered from his facial injuries and shook Ayame's hand too.

"Yes, I've heard _lots_ of interesting things about you" she chuckled. "So tell me, when are we going to see the _shokugeki_ match where Takumi-kun char grills you under the table and takes back his _mezzaluna_?"

"Man, Takumi! She's got spunk. I like her!" Yukihira slapped the blonde Italian on the back hard enough for him to stumble forward. "Say, have you seen Takumi's cooking skills yet?"

"Yep! We've had dinner together too, his food is absolutely gorgeous and the best. Italian food is my favourite" she said happily.

Takumi felt the need to strut and preen in front of Yukihira and tell him to 'Suck it' to show him that his Italian cuisine was unbeatable. He also felt a great pride swell up in him to hear Ayame compliment his cooking. His cooking should always be _the best_ in her eyes. Takumi focused himself on the matter at hand.

" _Uno momento per favore_. How on earth did you guys manage to get into our apartment anyway?" asked Takumi, pointing to Ayame and the other two misfits.

Kuchiyose nonchalantly waved at him from the side.

' _I should've known…'_

"Enough chit chat everyone. We've raided the supermarket to get some chow. So how about we all dump your luggage somewhere and just enjoy our meal like one big happy family. Hmm?" said Namikaze as she excitedly broke open a bottle of ice tea.

"Yes!" Isami dragged his luggage back to his room and sped back sporting a famished expression that Takumi knew all too well.

' _What? He's accustomed to Namikaze already?'_

Isami got along with most people, but he couldn't believe that he was already getting along with Namikaze more than _he_ did in the beginning.

Yukihira punched the air and left his luggage by the side of the couch and eagerly received the bottle of tea from Namikaze as they formally introduced themselves. Yukihira didn't seem to mind Kuchiyose's lack of verbal language and it looked like he already deemed him as a 'bro' before digging hungrily into the _bentous_. Namikaze also introduced herself and Kuchiyose to his brother with passable manners as Isami settled down and chowed down onto the nearest bentou box.

"I missed you"

Takumi startled from his observation and turned around to see the sweet face of his sweetheart. Takumi smiled back at her automatically. Her verdant eyes sparkled and her lips were set in a cute smile, with some faint pink dusting on her cheeks.

"And I, you" he said softly to her.

Takumi's heart swelled with adoration for her. Ayame had went out of her way to organise a welcoming home little get-together for his brother's return, and made sure there was plenty of food for everyone. She knew how much Isami meant to him and he was very appreciative for her efforts and even more so on how well they had hit it off on the get go. He knew he made the right choice and he couldn't thank the Roman Gods enough. He couldn't think of a time as lucky as meeting Ayame. He gently caressed her cheeks and leaned in to brush his lips against her soft ones in a sweet kiss, eliciting a small giggle from her. He drew her waist closer and peppered more kisses across her cheek.

"Hey man, stop giving us a show and get over here before the food gets cold"

Takumi jolted from his spot and almost bit Ayame's cheek. His facial temperature went through the roof as he opened and closed his mouth like a fish on dry land, his mind jammed for a good comeback. The last thing he needed right now was Yukihira's annoy irritating voice to destroy his romantic moment with Ayame. Ayame, blushed from beside him and grasped his hand.

"SH-SHUT UP!" Perfect, that was all he could say.

Isami chuckled from beside Yukihira and waved at the two of them to come over. Ayame pulled him along and they both sat opposite them.

"Takumi has told me lots of nice things about you Ayame-san. Is it true that you want to become a mechanical and _robotica_ engineer after university?" said Isami excitedly.

"Yep! For sure. I love learning about how things work and ultimately I want to build and design things to help progress humanity" said Ayame.

"What about you Namikaze-san?" asked Isami.

"I don't know what I want to do yet. I thought I'd ride the tide and see where it takes me" she shrugged and resumed on her spicy-as-hell _bentou._

"And you Kuchiyose-san?"

"… _Professional soccer player…"_

"Crikey Takumi, what an awesome set of friends you got here" Yukihira laughed whilst pigging out on the abundance of snacks, which was probably all of Namikaze's choosing. "I hope we get to see you guys around more. Hey, I know! How about you all visit us at the _**Summer Solstice Festival**_ that's coming up? So that you can meet the rest of the gang because believe you and me. They are all _brilliant_ chefs and are a hoot and half"

"Summer Solstice Festival?" Ayame turned to Takumi.

"A-Ah yeah. I was going to ask y-you if you wanted to come. It's a new food festival Tootsuki is holding where students v-volunteer to set up a food stalls. There's game and music entertainment as well. Everyone around is invited" he said blushing, passing her a tissue so that she could wipe some mayonnaise from her lips.

"Sure I'd love to. When is it?"

"Two weeks from now. It starts on a Monday and goes all the way to Friday. It's our first competition of the new semester" he said, slowly munching on his own takeaway _bentou._

"Oh I see, you resume classes a week earlier than our high school" she nodded in understanding. "Oh, we go to Karakura high school by the way" said Ayame.

"Thanks for the invite Yukihira-kun, but I think I'll pass this one" said Namikaze, propping her arms behind her and leaning back.

"Oh no you don't! You have to come, Chizuru-chan!" Ayame jabbed her chopsticks in her best friend's direction with undying conviction.

"WHY!"

"BECAUSE IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!"

"What are you, my mother-in-law?!"

While Ayame and Namikaze bickered back and forth. Isami, Yukihira and himself resumed chatting about Tootsuki related things, with the red-head nudging Kuchiyose every now and then and asking rhetorical questions as if he was actually part of the conversation. Soon it diverted to 'Ayame' related things.

"So have you and your girl _done the deed_ yet?" said Yukihira.

"WHAT THE HELL! Of course not you idiot, we only just started dating!"

"I'm just sayin', that's how some couples start—OWW Hey!" he grabbed his lower back and flipped his head towards Kuchiyose who in return glared back. He had pinched Yukihira's back _really_ hard.

"Yeah I get it, that wasn't funny. Sorry man" said Yukihira, and Kuchiyose returned back into his homeostatic self.

"So where was your first date?" asked Isami, his slanted eyes glittering with mirth.

"Umm… actually we haven't been on a proper date yet…" said Takumi, feeling a blush coming on.

"Seriously? So how are you _dating_ when you haven't been on a date yet?" Yukihira narrowed his eyes in disbelief at him.

"Don't ask me silly questions!" he yelled at the red-head.

Suddenly Takumi realised his error like a bucket of iced water dumped on his head. He wasn't properly performing the right steps in courting Ayame. They hadn't been on a date yet since his heartfelt confession?! _Stupido!_ How could he not realise that in the beginning?! Almost everywhere they went, there was always her two friends there. It was hard to squeeze in some pure alone time with Ayame, even just to hang out at a park, or at the café or shopping mall or something like a real new couple would because of her competition to build an innovative alarm clock and his holiday training, it was a bit tricky. Takumi wished he had a dating program inbuilt into him that told him all the right moves so he could start the courtship in the _right way_. His heart fell in stomach. He was a failure of a boyfriend!

"Cheer-up _Fratello,_ not everyone's got experience in dating" his brother patted him on the back in understanding whilst Takumi sobbed into his iced tea.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. You got Isami and I to help you out when you need it" Yukihira tried to cheer him up as well.

Great. Even the clueless _bastardo_ thought he was so poor in the dating department that he would need _his_ help. That was a low blow. Takumi might as well ask a teapot for help if Yukihira was going to enlist himself to be a redundant wingman.

"Go away… I don't need your help… d-don't look at me!" Takumi continued to blubber into his drink.

Soon Ayame and Namikaze's squabble died down when the midget finally acquiesced and surrendered. Ayame certainly knew how to argue for what she wanted. That was hot.

"Aya… Kuchiyose-kun, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I understand" said Ayame.

The lilac-haired giant shook his head at her and proceeded to enter the date of the festival into his phone calendar, much to her surprise and delight. It looked like he was coming anyway.

"I confess, I have an ex-boyfriend at Tootsuki too and I think I should skip instead"

" _FEEBLE EXCUSES"_ Ayame swiftly shut Namikaze down with a single look. "So Takumi-kun, what are you planning for your stall?"

Takumi recovered from his despair and proceeded to explain to her the tradition of holding a _Trattoria Aldini_ stall with Isami. The three merged into their own conversation about their Tootsuki traditions as brothers when it came to events, competitions and anything really. Meanwhile. Yukihira was rifling through the fridge to find pickles or anything acidic to ruin some strawberry flavoured pocky, no doubt trying to shanghai Ayame's friends into consuming his disgusting food experiments. He hoped Namikaze would be on the receiving end of it, just to see her choke.

Takumi felt himself ease back into his usual calm self. Somehow, Ayame had shifted her body so that she was leaning on his shoulder whilst talking to Isami. He loved seeing his _bella_ and his brother getting along so well. It made his heart flutter.

Suddenly something brushed up against his hand.

His _bella_ was playing with his fingers under the table.

Takumi felt a small blush coming on but smiled through it, and played with her fingers also. He stroked each finger delicately and drew little circles on her palms while she tapped on his hand rhythmically. These little moments of physical interaction meant a great deal to him and it always made his heart race with excitement and got his blood pumping. He shifted his body ever so slightly so that he allowed room for his other arm to also wrap around Ayame's waist and hold her to his body.

It felt perfect.

The whole living room felt perfect.

* * *

 **Takumi is so over dramatic when it comes to dating. But I guess that's what you'd expect from a perfectionist.**

 **Souma and Isami are back from their holidays! And that means everybody else will be trickling back for the brand new Summer Solstice Festival (my thing) :D Then Tootsuki will be filled with cooking action once again. Can't keep the Justice League away, can I?**

 **Takumi forgot where his postcard from Yukihira was sent from. DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER? :P**

 **In case you guys want to know the meaning of the character's names mean:**

神田 あやめ (Kanda Ayame = "Rice fields for the Gods" and "Iris - the flower")  
波風 千鶴 (Namikaze Chizuru = "Discord" and "1000 cranes")  
口寄せ 白虎 (Kuchiyose Byakko = "Spritualism" and "Legendary White Tiger of the West")

 **I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you in 5 days! Happy holidays!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	11. Something Wicked, This Way Comes

_Chapter 11 – Something Wicked, This Way Comes_

* * *

Isami literally had no time to relax during the first few days of returning. The two brothers dived head first into planning their _Trattoria Aldini_ booth for the Summer Solstice Festival. That was a fitting name for the ending of summer and the beginning of autumn. Using the same business formula as last year's Moon Banquet festival just wouldn't do now. _Trattoria Aldini_ booth needed to be different this year, continue to evolve. The key aspects they considered was a mix between running a business and being the chef. It was nothing new to the Aldini brothers, but it was no less challenging.

 _Area_. Which area on the Tootsuki campus would provide the optimal number of customers? There needed to be that sweet spot within a particular area. Festival goers will circulate around, back and forth before finding the booth they want. Most people will walk around before settling on one and rarely do they just blow their money on the first stall they see. The twin's booth would need be at the centre of that circulation. They could choose the same area as last year as it worked quite well, but if it was reserved by someone else before they could get their hands on it, they needed a backup area. Or they could force a _shokugeki_ for it.

 _Environment_. They were ending summer, but it was still quite hot, enough to be stifling for a massive throng of festival goers. The internal temperature within the masses and the booths were sure to escalate. The fact that the festival is in the evening will help cool things down. Takumi had checked the weather forecast and it predicted that it should be cooler around the festival dates, however he still made it a point to check every day just in case the forecast changed. Every good event manager knew weather could make or break a festival and pretty much influenced _everything._

 _Customers_. All the surrounding towns were invited, plus food industry investors and scouts, but that was fine. More importantly, nearing the end of the holidays meant there were going to be huge numbers of _high school students_ to add on top of families with small children. Totally different to the Moon Banquet Festival which was held in the middle of school semester, where a lot of students still prioritised their studies over the Tootsuki food festival last year. So there will be at least a one-hundred percent increase in festival-goers this time around. Takumi and Isami might not be regular high school students, but they knew that these teenage students were going to _party hard_ here before their arses got dragged back to school the following week. Isami and himself had better be prepared for that. Their number one clientele was going to be _high school students_ from Karakura High school, Naruki Private School and Yosen Selective Academy. The three main high schools in the surrounding areas.

 _Menu_. The brothers decided their menu would showcase _Aldini-_ Japansese food fusion that could be eaten cold or chilled. So a mix of the _Aldini-style_ seasonal favourites was a must because people wouldn't enjoy them until a year later. The food items needed to be creative, innovative, fresh and enticing because adolescent clients were harder to please. They represented the new flourishing generation whose tastes were unpredictable and changed just as fast as the tide, always expecting more and looking for the next level. Teenage customers had a certain advantage over adult customers: _Technological communication_. If someone snapped a photo of their dish and posted it onto some social media site, it will spread like wild fire and before they knew it, a mass of hungry students will flock in, in no time. Their dishes needed to be _on point_ for that to happen. How many dishes could they afford to make? Complexity vs. practicality? Time vs. expenditure? There was so much to consider. Also, many of the stalls last year concentrated too much on food and not enough on drinks. Isami and Takumi had observed that festival goers were quite parched towards the end and tended to congregate around the few stalls that did provide drinks. This time around, drinks will be very _crucial_.

 _Service_. Yukihira had the ingenious idea of setting up some seating areas around his booth to allow his customers to relax, sit and enjoy the food with their friends and family on the very last day of the Moon Banquet Festival. It was a resounding success. Tadokoro-san also had organised paper lanterns to be strewn nicely around the booth and makeshift seating area, generously donated by, the Local Cuisine RS. It brought the perfect festival atmosphere and smiles to everyone's faces. His _mamma_ always reminded him and Isami of one of her favourite proverbs.

' _No matter how delicious the food is, if the customer receives crap customer service, they will never come back and neither will their friends. A customer may forget what they ate, but they will never forget how you made them feel'_

Perhaps he and Isami could devise something similar.

 _Competition_. That shouldn't be too hard because he and Isami were amongst the best of the best in their generation. All they needed was to make a profit and they wouldn't be expelled. But did the two brother's want to settle for just a _pass_? Hell no! They were going to really test themselves and pull together all they had learnt from _Trattoria_ _Aldini,_ Tootsuki and their friends, and pull in all their effort and make this festival the best they ever had!

Isami and Takumi had spent days brainstorming together and typed the logistics up on Takumi's laptop. Everything else came naturally to them. Takumi breathed out a sigh and flopped back onto the apartment sofa and Isami stretched himself out beside him.

"I think we've done enough for today. We can work on choosing the menu items tomorrow or something" said Isami.

Takumi nodded and pulled out his phone. Now that they had achieved everything they planned for the day, he allowed his mind to rest and wonder. The last time he spoke to Ayame was when bidding each other good night after a surprise welcome home hangout for Isami. Takumi wondered if she was busy right now. Takumi clicked through his contact list until he found her name and hovered his thumb over the dial button. This was a lot harder than he thought. Should he call her? Should he text her? Texting was better right? It's less intrusive. What if she didn't pick up because she's busy? What if he called her during dinner? He began sweating behind his neck and nerves got the better of him. So many things were whizzing through his mind, faster than the ideas for the Summer Solstice Festival. They were together, so it shouldn't be a problem to call her at all!

"Fufufu… _Fratello,_ you can stare at your phone all you want but it's not going to dial itself"

"Isami!"

Takumi threw his head back in a nervous fluster only to be greeted by a chilled bottle of _limoncello_ gently balanced on his forehead, courtesy of Isami. All thoughts of scolding his younger twin were thrown out the window as soon as he broke open the bottle of the delicious Italian drink and took a gigantic swig from it.

Isami settled back beside him and kicked his foot up on the coffee table, nursing his own bottle of _limoncello_.

"I don't know if it's the right moment to ask or not, Isami" said Takumi.

"What are you talking about?"

"W-We haven't been on a proper date yet. I think I might have left it too long. I don't know how I should ask her or if this is the write moment..." Takumi continued to sip his drink. It was a hot evening and both boys were lounging around in their home clothes. Just shorts and singlets. They left the balcony open to allow some much-needed breeze in. Isami had been overly excited that the balcony was finally accessible after five years and promptly went to buy garden furniture to fulfill the twin's dreams of having Sunday afternoon coffees _alfresco_ style, using their brand new coffee percolator, in the comfort of their own home.

"So you're just trying to ask her out on a date when you guys are _already_ together? " Isami looked at him as if he was making a mountain out of a mole hill.

"It's not that simple, Isami!" Takumi fumed from his seat on the sofa.

" _Fratello_ you aren't making much sense. I don't think Ayame-san minds if you got this all backwards. I mean, nobody's relationship starts off perfectly. Look at _Mamma and Pappa! Pappa_ met her when she was drunk at a bar. She was trying to pick-pocket his wallet for her friend's hen's night party game. It's better that you ask now rather than postponing it. _Non?"_

Takumi remembered that story well. It was the first time he'd seen _mamma_ so embarrassed.

"You're right Isami. Here goes" Takumi flicked his hand through the Holy Trinity gesture before resolutely pressed the dial button.

' _Brrrrrr… brrrrr…brrrrr…brrrrr…brrrrr. Click. Hello?'_

"Ah- Hi Ayame-san…" said Takumi.

" _Takumi-kun, Hi! What's up?"_

The slightly distorted but still sweet sound of her voice made him instantly relax. He finally realised all the jitters he had accumulated melted away and that it was all for nothing and plain silly. There was nothing he should be afraid of when his _amore_ was right here with him, even if it was just a disembodied voice on the phone.

"Nothing much, I've just been going over some plans with Isami for our festival stall"

" _Great. How's that going for you both?"_

"It's going fine. We've sorted out most of the paperwork. We just need to finalise the menu, that's all."

" _Oh? You know I'm the perfect model for a taste tester right?"_

Takumi couldn't help chuckling at the thinly veiled excitement in her tone. "Sure, you can taste anything you want" he said.

" _Hold on a second, let me put the phone on speakers…"_

A few seconds later, he could hear some shuffling on the other side and things being moved around. Isami suddenly entered in his field of vision and gave him two thumbs up and smile. Takumi waved him away to stop him from being distracting before Isami conceded and went off to deposit the empty bottles into the mini-recycling bin.

" _Ah there we go! Keep talking Takumi-kun I'm still listening"_

"Ah! Right… Umm s-so. What are you doing right now?" _Cazzo._ That sounded so lame.

" _I'm soldering in my room at the moment. I've got some old circuit boards I've taken apart and I'm planning to use the useful ones for my alarm clock"_

Right, she had that alarm clock competition she was working on. Takumi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he detected a soft motor humming in the background.

"Are you sure soldering in you room is a good idea…?" Takumi swallowed thickly, thinking about all the things that could go wrong like a circuit board blowing up in her face in a confined room with lots of flammable school books around.

" _Oh that's ok. I've opened up my windows and doors so I don't knock myself out from the fumes. Haha!"_

Takumi shook his head and sighed. His _bella_ was a strange one indeed.

"So… umm, I was wondering if you're free on Friday night" he said as calmly as possible.

" _Friday night? Sure! What did you have in mind?"_

She sounded very pleased, the blonde Italian was happy to note. So far so good, _fantasico!_ His confidence started to build up and he leaned back against the sofa. He could hear Isami in the background shuffling back and forth, no doubt trying very hard not to look like he was eavesdropping. Also, Takumi had been sitting on his idea of a perfect date for a while now.

"I was thinking we could go out to have dinner… just the two of us…" Takumi blessed the Roman Gods for allowing him to speak without any hitches. Takumi folded his legs beneath himself on the sofa, anxiously waiting for her answer.

" _Eh? Our first date huh? Haha! I was wondering when you'd get around to asking me"_ said Ayame, laughing quietly.

"O-Oi! This won't be an ordinary first date! Just you wait!" Takumi blushed brightly at Ayame's insinuation that she knew every step and move he made. He didn't mean to yell, but an Italian man prided themselves on being the most romantic of all men, including beating the Spanish and the French in that area.

" _Oh Takumi-kun, it doesn't matter where we go or what we do, as long we're together"_ she said.

Her words made his heart feel warm. She had great confidence in him no matter what he did. He was going to give her the best first date ever! And what could be more romantic than telling his _amore_ that it will be a surprise?

" _So where should we go?"_ asked Ayame.

"That will be a surprise" Takumi smirked, imagining the cute expression on Ayame's face. He gave himself a fist pump. That was smooth like a _cognac._

" _Eh? I like a good surprise. I can't wait"_ she giggled on the other side. Takumi could hear some soft clinking on the other side.

"Yeah me too. How's your alarm clock going, by the way?" asked Takumi, turning around so that he could stretch his legs out on the sofa and place his head on the arm rest.

" _Coming along nicely. I haven't told you my idea for it have I? Well here it goes! Basically it will play a karaoke version of a song of your choosing from the list of songs I will input when it goes off. You have to sing along karaoke style all the way to the end as you wake up and become alert before it shuts off. That means I'm going to program it for speech recognition. If you don't, the volume will keep increasing until it reaches a maximum of seventy-five decibels. Loud enough to be super-annoying, but not enough to cause noise-induced hearing loss"_

"That sound's brilliant Ayame-san" said Takumi excitedly.

" _Also, it will have this neat feature where—guuuurrggllee"_

What the hell was that? Then silence fell.

"Umm… are you ok?" Takumi furrowed his brows slightly in curiosity.

"… _Yes? - guuuuuuurggllee"_

There was that sound again. It was clearer this time. As a chef, he would know that sound anywhere, anyplace.

"Ayame-san, have you eaten dinner yet?" Takumi sprang up from the sofa.

" _Uh… I had a couple of rice crackers to start me off…"_

Takumi slapped his forehead in exasperation. _Dio mio!_ What was that girl thinking? She was probably starving herself to work on that alarm clock and even resorted to snacking on junk-food to keep her going through the night. Her stomach grumbling was loud enough for him to hear on his side of the phone. There were no excuses to denying oneself food and if she was working hard like that, she _must_ have proper nutrition to keep her brain and body functioning at optimal levels.

Takumi had no choice now.

"Alright. I'm coming over, please wait a bit _mio cara_ " Takumi sighed.

" _Hmm? Why? Are you coming over to cook me something? YES PLEASE"_ came Ayame's creepy and earnest reply.

"What makes you think that?" Takumi said, trying to sound indifferent, but failing miserably. He wasn't going to let her read and predict his actions the second time of the night, not when she was the one with the grumbling stomach.

"Because you're my boyfriend who's an awesome chef~" she said sheepishly on the other side, with a hint of cheekiness lacing her words.

Damn straight he was!

Takumi said a quick 'goodbye _bella'_ and snapped the phone shut. He shook his head in disbelief. If this was becoming a thing, he didn't mind at all, but he'd prefer if Ayame asked him _before_ she starved herself. Even better, he could just invite Ayame over to his place on some nights to have dinner with him and Isami and continue spending time together. Yes, that would be pretty ideal.

"How did it go, _Fratello?_ " Isami popped his head out of his room, eager to know what transpired on the phone.

"It went well. I'm going over to Ayame's place for a bit. I won't be back until late. So don't wait up for me" said Takumi, disappearing into his room to change clothes.

"What? Is your date starting now or something?" Isami's thin brows shot up into his hairline as he followed Takumi into the adjacent bedroom, ready to dig out more information.

"Nope. Ayame hasn't eaten yet, so I'm going to take care of that" said Takumi slipping his arms through his cardigan. He rifled through his wardrobe again and pulled out his _Aldini_ apron. The way Ayame ogled him in his apron last time, made him feel really good.

"Ah ok, It's pretty late now. You're sure one caring boyfriend, you are, _Fratello"_ Isami smirked, crossing his arms and continued to follow Takumi out into the living area once he finished changing and smoothing out his hair with quick flicks and pat downs.

"Alright, I'm heading off now. _A fra poco._ See you in a bit" said Takumi, stuffing his apron in a bag, grabbing his phone, keys and wallet before exiting the apartment.

* * *

Ayame clucked her tongue. She was running out of solder. She had a tiny bit left so decided to stop working on her alarm clock for the time being. She was going to have to visit the hardware store to buy a fresh roll of solder soon. She looked at the current roll she was using to remember which brand to get. Then she turned the clear tube around in her fingers to take further note of the manufacturer's details.

' _Hmm… forty percent lead. Welp, mechanical and robotics engineering is certainly not for the weak... I better get the lead-free one anyway'_

Her stomach tried to claw its way out of her body for the nearest exit again. Takumi-kun was coming over soon to feed her and she patted her stomach to reassure it. She sighed dreamily and her hunger increased ten-fold anyway. Ayame switched off her soldering iron, letting it cool down sufficiently before tucking it away under her bedside table, and carefully placed the small circuit board she was working on back into its box and tucked it to the side of her desk. Ayame decided to leave her window open a bit more and then turn her air conditioning fan on to circulate the air.

"Urgh… I need to do something about this mess" she muttered "But I'm too hungry…" she bemoaned to the empty room. Ayame left her work desk and settled herself at her little low wooden table in the middle of the floor. She was very fortunate to have a room that was big enough to house a work desk, king single bed, a bookshelf and a small low wooden table in the middle (or _kotatsu_ for the winter). Ayame brushed her fringe aside and pulled out her study books. In a blink of an eye, the holidays will disappear and the new semester will begin. She planned to review the content for next semester to keep ahead of the class.

' _Let's see, for physics class, the new content will be medical physics. For Maths it will be Calculus extension. For History we will be covering the Soviet Revolution. Nice. For Literature, we'll be doing Japanese Crime Literature. In chemistry, we'll be looking at shipwrecks. Interesting, that will be very useful to me! Home economics… We're going to be doing textiles?... Geez, give me a break'_

Ayame harrumphed. The only good thing that came out of the home economics subject was that it was relaxing. It was a shame the school didn't offer other interesting electives like woodwork or welding as an elective subject, but no, she was stuck with home economics again. There wasn't a chance they will let her bring in her soldering equipment anymore, so she could wave goodbye the opportunity to design and make more mechanical trinkets.

Ayame released her hair from her bun, letting it tumble against her shoulders in soft waves. She pulled out her trusty physics dictionary and physics textbook, getting a head start in reading the introductory paragraph of the medical physics chapter.

 _Knock, Knock, Knock_

"Hmm?"

Ayame got up, wondering if it was either Takumi-kun or _Otou-san_ coming home on time for once. She shuffled downstairs, quickly making sure she was decent, like a bra-strap wasn't showing or anything before hopping downstairs and opening the door.

" _Buona sera._ Good evening, Ayame-san"

Ayame smiled. She couldn't get enough of seeing Takumi-kun appearing before her, dressed in a pale brown cardigan. He seemed to have a thing for waistcoats, but him in cardigans was pretty easy on the eyes too. Even better that he was holding a plastic shopping bag. She could see a bottle of peach ice-tea peeping out.

"Hi Takumi-kun, come on in. Sorry, for being such a pester right now. I was dumb enough to leave dinner to the last minute. But I was too absorbed with my alarm clock project" Ayame rambled on as she stepped away for Takumi-kun to enter her home and take of his shoes.

" _Nessun Problema._ I can make food for you anytime you'd like" said Takumi-kun.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, because I'd definitely hold you up to that" said Ayame leading him in to the living room.

She could hear Takumi-kun laughing nervously but he didn't say anything to back out.

"Are your parents at home tonight?" he asked.

Ayame sighed. " _Okaa-san_ is still on a business trip and _Otou-san_ is still working" she said.

"Right" said Takumi-kun. He held a plastic grocery bag to her and grinned "I hope you're in the mood for _bruschetta_ , because that's what I'll be making tonight"

Ayame snorted, bemused _"Bruschetta?_ Isn't that an _entrée_ sort of dish?" Takumi-kun was sure one funny guy.

"It's an _antipasto_ dish to be exact. It's _Italiano_ after all, not _Francese._ But _s_ ì. It's a bit late to make something like pasta now and you don't want to sleep on a heavy stomach late in the night. So I think something lighter like _bruschetta_ would be better" said Takumi-kun, puffing his chest out and smiling at her. He looked pretty smug and proud with himself, telling her little factoids, and his idea of a meal plan and all that at the moment but Ayame didn't really care because all she heard was _'Food, food, food, food, bruchetta, food, food, pasta'_.

"Alrighty then, I look forward to it" Ayame smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek, enjoying the way his face brimmed with redness. He was too cute. Sometimes he was completely fine with physical interaction, borderline eager, and at other times he was a flustered mess. She wondered what really caused those mixed reactions. She didn't know, but she loved it.

Takumi-kun once again made himself comfortable in the kitchen and pulled out his _Aldini_ apron and tied it on with great flourish. He took out a loaf of sourdough bread, some tomatoes, ricotta cheese, honey, balsamic vinegar and basil from his shopping bag and laid it out on the kitchen bench. The Karakura honchou supermarket was the only place she knew that would still be opened around this time, he must have gone there to buy his ingredients.

"You can continue with whatever you are doing Ayame-san. I know you're busy. When I'm done I can bring everything up to your room" said Takumi-kun, smiling at her sweetly, his hands firmly on his hips.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be lonely down here" she said.

Takumi-kun laughed and leaned over the counter towards her. Ayame felt a blush coming on because the way he was looking at her made her feel queasy in a good way. His electifyingly blue eyes grazed her in the most delicious way.

" _Si_ , _signorina._ Don't worry. This will be quick"

Ayame, dipped her eyes away. The way his Italian words just rolled off his tongue was a turn-on. She tied her hair back up into her pony tail and quickly went around the bench and gave Takumi-kun a tight hug to hide her face in his shoulder. What did she ever do to deserve someone like him? He came to cook restaurant quality food for her just because, taking time out of his own busy schedule to accommodate for hers. Ayame breathed in his scent from around his neck, feeling completely at ease. Takumi-kun returned her hug and lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles, not breaking his gorgeous sky blue eye contact with her.

"I'm going now. My room is upstairs, the one with open door" she said quickly, resisting the urge to just slump against him. In the end she had to unlock her arms and pry herself from his warm, body to pitter-patter away and climb up the stairs to her awaiting school books.

* * *

All done. Takumi carefully laid six perfect slices of bruchetta on a wooden tray. He made enough toppings for a dozen slices, but stored half away into a glad-wrapped bowl in the fridge so that they'll be a little extra something for Ayame for some other time. He arranged it daintily as to not let the tomato, basil and ricotta cheese toppings tumble off. Next he dressed it neatly with a quick drizzle of his balsamic vinegar and honey mix. Ayame was going to love this. It had the perfect sweet tanginess to really compliment the richness of the ricotta and the fragrance of the tomatoes and basil. He looked around to see if he could find serviettes, but found a box of tissue instead and decided to grab it anyway. Takumi tucked the chilled bottle of what he now understood was her favourite peach ice-tea under his arms as he expertly hefted the tray of delicious _bruchetta_ in his hands.

Once he made it up the stairs without a single strand of hair out of place, he knocked on her door.

"I'm coming in"

"Yay, finally! Let me clear up all this mess first" said Ayame.

Takumi patiently waited by the door as Ayame frantically stacked her books out of the way and placed them in a messy pile next to the low Japanese table in the middle of her room. Takumi took the time to absorb it all in. It was a pretty big room, if he looked past all the furniture that was inside it. It made his apartment one look meager in comparison. Her bed was pressed along the wall with the window. She probably benefited from a nice breeze during the summer night, and her bookcase was filled with an assortment of thick textbooks. He didn't have to guess that they were all to do with physics and engineering. She had a standard sized study desk and he could definitely see why she chose to study on the low table instead. It was covered in screws, knuts, bolts, strands of random wires and small screwdrivers of different sizes strewn everywhere. It was a weird sight. In the corner of the desk was a lamp and a little robot covered in a cardboard shell. Beside the table was a box of what he guessed were computer parts. There was a faint smell that lingered in the air that he couldn't quite place his finger on.

"Okay, my study area looks decent now" said Ayame, gesturing him to come sit on the carpet beside her.

She was fidgeting while looking on as he gently placed the tray down in front of her. Her barely concealed excitement amused him. Heaps of his customers weren't ashamed to show how much they desired his food and sometimes the way they drooled grossed him out, but when Ayame did it, it was attractive.

" _Itadakimasu_!"

She bit into the first slice and Takumi stared eagerly, awaiting her verdict. He eyes flew open as if she from a burst of flavours and couldn't get enough of it. Her face morphed into sensual bliss. A bit of the honey and balsamic vinaigrette got caught on her lips and she licked it up. Takumi swallowed thickly, feeling the tell-tale signs of twitching in his jaw.

He could admit it to himself now. Ayame eating his food aroused him.

"Oh my gosh… _Bruschetta_ deserves more than just being an _antipasto!_ " said Ayame gleefully as she devoured the rest of her _bruschetta_ and picked up another in a hurry.

"I'll be sure to tell that to the _Italiano_ godfathers of cooking the next I see them" he replied back in a joking manner, but it looked like Ayame wasn't listening anymore.

Takumi shifted his position so that he had one leg bent up to rest his elbow on his knee, and tilted closer towards Ayame. He felt his heart rate pick up in excitement as he continued to indulge in his own guilty pleasure of watching his girlfriend eat. His fingers itched to cup her face and pull her towards him and lick off the bits of ricotta stuck to her lips for her and steal a kiss in between. But no, he had to hold himself back and allow her to eat in peace, because he knew he couldn't stop if he tried.

Ayame continued to hum and rock about as she ate her _bruschetta,_ making her an endearing sight. Every bite she took left him hanging on the proverbial edge. He knew exactly what happened next after every bite. She would hum and hold it in her mouth for a few milliseconds to let the flavours melt on her tongue. Next she would chew slowly to savour it. Takumi's breath would quicken and feel heat travelling up his face and his eyes would focus solely on her actions. After that she would swallow. That was when the heat travelled south. She would close her eyes, letting her long delicate lashes fan across her cheeks and her face a bit flushed from experiencing the unique flavours only he could bring for her. Her swallows were sensual. Her smaller Adam's apple would bob up and down the length of her neck and Takumi could imagine himself tracing it, whether it be with his own fingers, his nose or his tongue.

The burning in his loins grew stronger.

"Ah… T-Takumi-kun?"

' _Huh?'_

It was like a screen of fog lifted from his eyes and he blinked rapidly. _How the Diavolo did get so close to her without realising?!_ To his horror he was leaning way too close to Ayame to be appropriate for a gentleman now. It was like he was hovering over her shoulder inside her personal space, dwarfing her form. Ayame was leaning back away from him looking very confused and blushing like mad. He was absolutely mortified for his actions.

"I-I'm sorry!" Takumi yelped out. He re-erected himself into sitting _seiza_ , the same position _Pappa_ made him and Isami sit whenever they got into trouble at home.

"No! No! Don't be sorry. It's u-umm… a-alright"

Takumi bowed his head low so that he was staring at a tiny spot on the low table, not daring to look at Ayame in the eyes. _He was the worst!_ A chef should do nothing to impede in his customers enjoyment of the food and he just sommer-saulted over that line by being overly creepy and inappropriate to Ayame! Takumi internally wailed, not realising that it all came out in verbal form too.

"I'm really sorry! Whenever y-you eat like that I c-can't help s-staring… It makes m-my chest f-feel really tight b-because… I don't know…It really _gets to me_. Ummm…uh, You're really beautiful and breath-taking when you eat. _Cazzo!_ That's a lousy excuse… I'm sorry! Please ignore me!" Takumi finished off in a rush. Scratching the back of his head madly.

Suddenly Ayame touched his shaking hands that were balled into fists on his knees, instantly stilling them.

"No it's ok Takumi-kun! You're not doing anything wrong. It's j-just that… when you look at me like that… the way only _you_ do. I-I feel nervous, but… _I like it_. It feels like… you actually _want me_ "

Takumi gingerly glanced up. Want her? No! It was more than that! Ayame fidgeted anxiously on the spot. Her eyes were looking away from him and she had a deep blush painted on her face. Her verdant greens eyes were shimmering as it always did, even though it was hidden behind her fringe. Ayame chewed on her lower lip. Was she nervous and anxious just as much as he was? She really needed to stop biting her lip because it was driving him crazy! And he didn't have his lip-balm on him right now!

Takumi took her hand in his and shifted his position so that he was facing her properly.

"Do… do you really mean that?" he whispered.

"AYA! Don't look at me!" Ayame wrenched her hand away and buried her face in them.

"No. Never. I will never stop looking at you. You're beautiful" Takumi peeled her hands away and gently stroked her face with the back of his fingers. His eyes bore into her, trying to reassure and convince her that she was the most beautiful in his eyes, and her own shyly looked back to him. _So green. So her._ Ayame's lovely face was full blown red now, like a _roma_ tomato.

It was too much. Takumi leaned in and hungrily caught her lips. She tasted of the sweet balsamic vinegar and honey. The taste of _his food on her._ Forget the time she used to dip _pana de casa_ in olive oil and balsamic vinegar which often plagued is mind to no end because this was so much better and satisfying. It was like one of his coveted dreams were coming true. Takumi caressed her jaw, drawing her further closer to him, engrossed in the way she responded just as ardently. Ayame sensually moved her lips against his as she kissed him back and soon he managed to coax her tongue out to meet his in a slow romantic dance filled with his passion for her.

 _More._

Takumi's hand floated down to her waist reflexively. The suppleness of her skin was just beyond his reach below her cotton t-shirt. The blonde Italian was so immersed in _his bella_ that he once again pulled her closer to his body without thinking until she was leaned over him from between his legs. Ayame released a small sigh when their lips broke apart momentarily, however Takumi quickly reclaimed it, not wanting to release his _bella_ just yet. He still wanted to show her how much she meant to him. Her fresh scent of sunshine clouded his mind, drawing his instincts out to follow what felt right to him to the surface.

" _Ayame…"_

The blonde Italian trailed his kisses from her soft lips down her jaw to the column of her throat as he grasped onto her body tightly against his, as they still sat together behind the Japanese low table. He revelled in the way her throat vibrated with a soft and titillating moan near the shell of his ear. Sending his mind into a spin and his blood coursing relentlessly through his arteries. He felt her fingers dig into his shoulder as she steadied herself against him and he could also feel her body rise in temperature as she lightly panted, gasping for air.

 _He affected her the same way she did to him._

"Nnngh…T-Takumi-kun…" her voice sent shivers down his spine, causing his legs to slightly close in around her a bit further. " _B-bruschetta_ … I'm still hungry"

Takumi could die on the spot right now.

HE WAS FUCKING DEAD.

"I'm... sorry, I j-just... you're too beautiful, to... _n-not_ do what I did..." Takumi pulled his hands away and sat on them in embarrassment and shame. He could already feel _Death's_ slippery fingers pointing and jeering at him.

"Thanks, T-Takumi-kun. I actually... enjoyed it. Oh gosh! Umm... I don't want to be the only one eating… So, eat with me too?" she said shyly, releasing his shoulders to sit back on her haunches between his leg, wringing her hands together as she shyly smiled at him "And then, if you want. We can continue where we left off. Hmm?" Ayame leaned back in and traced her finger lightly on his lower lip, hints of mischief in her glittering green eyes. The corners of her lips twitched up into a teasing smile.

Takumi's mortification disappeared upon the sight of Ayame actually implying she wanted more of what just happened right then and there. He couldn't resist. He playfully nipped at her finger, triumphantly keeping it gently caught between his teeth as he smirked at her. Two could play. She blushed deeply.

"Anything you want, _mio caro"_

* * *

' _Knock, Knock, Knock'_

"Erina-sama, my deepest apologies for disturbing you"

Nakiri Erina had always been a light sleeper. Since young, she was hyper-sensitive to faint nocturnal noises. That included the slightest creak of the wood, the soft brushes of leaves against the windows and the sharp chirping of crickets during the night. Any of that could keep her up all night until she had to learn meditation techniques from _Ojii-sama_ to block out such distractions and let her body and mind rest. It normally took ages for her to be lulled into sweet slumber so it was imperative that she had an early night. Eleven-thirty was when Erina was properly asleep. However, she was roused from her vague dreams by the soft shuffling feet behind her heavy wooden doors even before Hisako, her reliable aide, knocked and opened her mouth.

Hisako was very conscientious of her sleep schedule.

' _This better be freaking important…'_

Erina threw the covers off and stretch the kinks in her neck and shoulder. She gave a wide yawn and rubbed the sleep tears from her eyes. Grumpiness was the perfect mood to set on her shoulders. She didn't bother to tell Hisako to wait a moment because she already knew to stand by at attention like the perfect aide she was. The Nakiri heiress had no idea what could possibly be this urgent in the night. All business hours ended at seven o'clock and curfew was strictly ten o'clock for all main building dormitories.

She growled through the grogginess

Erina yanked her robes off the bedpost and slipped it on messily. Erina trusted Hisako pretty much with everything, to the point that she could handle most things on her own without consulting her. If whatever the hell this was _that_ important to sacrifice her sleep, she will try to reign in her attitude this time around, but no guarantees. She stomped towards the door and opened it, greeted by Hisako's urgent and worried face. Her rosette-haired aide stepped aside and bowed. She was dressed in what looked like the same smart casual clothes from the morning.

' _Don't tell me she's still doing her secretarial duties up at this hour!'_

"What is it?" she bit out.

"Erina-sama, there is a gentleman just outside the main building foyer. He said he's with the police and requested an audience with the director of Tootsuki" she said fairy quickly.

"The police? What the hell is going on! Hold on, I need to change." Erina stomped back in and threw on something decent before returning to Hisako's side. Damn it! She wasn't in the mood for this. The pair swiftly walked down the corridor, making their way to this waiting police officer.

That meant she had to see him instead. Her grandfather, Nakiri Senzaemon was still away on important matters abroad and that meant, everything else fell onto her as the second in charge for business matters. Erina and Hisako strode down the corridor of the Nakiri mansion. The Nakiri mansion was only a short distance away from the main Tootsuki building and only required a stroll across the pine boardwalk. The lights had long been extinguished so the night was bathed in the moonlight which reflected off the large _koi_ pond situated by the rock gardens. Anxiety and suspicion crept into her stomach. Tootsuki had a pristine reputation and they had done nothing in their ninety-six-year reign to have tarnished themselves or put them in the spotlight for any scandal or whatnot. _Nothing!_ She wasn't just worried.

 _She was offended._

She and Hisako made it to the main building foyer and was greeted by the night-shift security guard who was equally apprehensive.

"This police officer. Who is he exactly?" said Erina spitefully.

"He flashed me his badge but I couldn't see his name properly. He said he's directly from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in the Kasumigaseki sector of Central Tokyo" said the security guard. "I notified your aide right away and I also asked him to wait outside. You know, just in case"

 _No way!_

The worry intensified like a bad gastroenteritis and it churned her stomach. From _headquarters_ itself?! This was very serious then. Ordinarily a run-of-the-mill officer from the local police station would be enough to drop by if there was something going on, but this TMPD officer himself was located in the heart of Tokyo.

"Then this is something we all must take with absolute caution. Alright, thank you _Shuei-san_. I'll take it from here" said Erina under her breath.

Erina stood at the door, making sure she was prepared to meet this police officer. After all, even though it was the middle of the night, she was still a dignified representative student of the Tootsuki Culinary Academy. She warily opened the door wide enough to see the police officer standing outside.

Cold, dark eyes pierced through her heart.

Erina's breath hitched in her throat and she couldn't tear her gaze away from the man. He emitted an aura that demanded complete submission. Erina suddenly felt very little and insignificant before him. His cold eyes itself instilled something within her that she had not felt in many years.

 _Weak_.

She felt absolutely powerless. He drew fear from her as if it was natural to him. His face was sharp and angular with a prominent jawline and high cheek bones. It was the look of the ideal pure elegance of a beautiful Japanese male. It was like staring into the face of a bloodthirsty _samurai._ He had long jet-black hair tied in a tight high pony-tail with a single red cord and it reached mid-back. Long dead-straight locks of hair reaching just below his ribs framed his face on either side, and his fringe was neatly cut even, just above his dark eyes. He looked at her with condescending apathy, which she admitted put hers to shame. He stood with the perfect rigid posture of a trained martial artist, straight and yielding to nothing. His build was tall and looked muscular even though his body was clad in a deep, navy blue trench coat. He was no normal run-of-the-mill police officer. He wasn't even wearing the standard uniform at all! In fact, through this unbuttoned trench coat, he donned just a dress shirt, complete with a slim black tie that hung loose around his neck and standard trousers and boots.

However, by his waist…

Erina suddenly gulped when her eyes laid upon his waist and widened in shock. A glimpse of a beautiful shining red and gold hilt of a _katana_ gleamed from behind his trench coat. Erina traced her eyes downward and just as she guessed, the tips of the scabbard peaked from underneath the hem of his coat.

It was many decades after the Sword Abolishment Edict, from the _Meiji_ Government in 1876, that one could _own_ a Japanese sword under special registration and conditions, let alone publicly tote it around. In this present age, there was only one man in _history_ who had the imperial permission from Emperor Akihito himself, to wield a _katana_ blade as an official service weapon in the TMPD.

And that man stood before her. This _definitely_ wasn't just some police officer. She had heard about him. _Everyone_ heard about him.

It was none other than the notorious Superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

His voice was low and sliced the air like a reaper's scythe.

"Superintendent General, Kanda Yuu. Are you gonna let me in or do I have to arrest you too?

* * *

 **WARNING! Please be advised that soldering in your bedroom is not recommended. Again don't try any of my OCs' shenanigans at home. Ayame should have bought a fan-type fume extractor with an attached filtre. Smoke goes in, no smoke comes out. Either she's saving up money for it, or spent all her pocket money on other whizbang contraptions haha.**

 **Takumi and Ayame had a moment ALONE in the house! His talent in cooking became the sword he fell on. The bruchetta was so fucking good that Ayame stopped their little intimacy to FINISH HER FREAKING DINNER. Well done Takumi... Well done.**

 **What business does the head honcho of TMPD have with Tootsuki?** _ **Somebody**_ **finally got to meet the Superintendent General and it was Erina. Damn... Tune in to find out :D**

 **Once again, have a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year! I See you in 5 days!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	12. Their First Date, Meeting Her Dad

_Chapter 12 – Their First Date, Meet the Dad_

* * *

News spread like the pandemic bird flu.

Eizan Etsuya was arrested.

With a few more days, the Summer Solstice Festival would be in full swing and now the Elite Ten were dumped with the most burdening tasks of all mother of misfortune. Erina could barely concentrate on the first line of the fourteen paged document Hisako had set for her. She wanted to tear her hair out.

' _Stupid Eizan! Look at what he's done to us'_.

Erina shuddered. She remembered the sudden meeting she had with the Superintendent General two nights ago with such clarity that she was afraid something else bad will happen if she didn't.

 _Illegal Insider trading._

That was exactly what Superintendent General Kanda had said and that was exactly what was written on the arrest warrant which he handed to her once they were inside her office. She felt like she wanted to throw up and so did Hisako. Illegal insider trading involved the trading of a company's stock by people with access to secret information about the company to make profitable gains, before that information was allowed to be public. This meant Eizan was using leaked or hacked information to make more money from the stock market than a typical investor would make, essentially making it unfair for other investors who didn't have that information. This could potentially cripple the economy.

 _Thus he committed a serious crime._

She knew that delinquent Yankee wannabe couldn't be trusted in the pits of her stomach! His presence tasted foul whenever she was within two metres of him. He was such a slippery and conniving creature. Always hanging back in the shadows and never truly saying what he meant, speaking in cryptic words covered in money allusions, which got so annoying that the rest of the Elite Ten had to tell him off at times for being so smug for nothing. The worst part was he never showed interest in the physical act of cooking despite sitting comfortable in the highly coveted ninth seat, only participating in Elite Ten matters out of grudging obligation.

Why did he even like the culinary arts to begin with? Because it was a lucrative business, both for himself and Tootsuki Academy, he'd claimed. He made no effort to hide his love for making money out of the industry. Tootsuki welcomed him with wide, open arms and soon after he developed a business model for Tootsuki that had achieved astronomical gains for the academy within a year.

' _Now they regret it so badly. Once the police find out a percentage of Eizan's income is contributed to the academy's finance. We are done for'_

Eizan Etsuya was a slick businessman. His keen knowledge as an entrepreneur went as far back as elementary school and he cultivated his skill to become well-known across Japan, but somewhat underground during his middle school days. As a business consultant, he charged a large monthly fee for his services. He provided state-of-the-art business advice which guaranteed unimpeded success. Though at times his methods and tactics were questionable, he seemed to have a large clientele pool ranging from franchises, independent eateries and restaurants, and most recently to a few of the biggest food companies in Tokyo. Furthermore, there recently was a mutual understanding only between the Elite Ten that he was dipping himself in the stock markets. It looked like he began buying shares and dividends and soon enough, he was raking in so much money that his consultation business advanced. Of course, he never admitted it directly, strangely enough. But he said enough to imply it beyond reasonable doubt. When confronted, he deflected them with vague responses and knowing smirks until it was useless to talk about it.

Now his greed for money was his inevitable demise, and Tootsuki was about to go down with it on that rapidly sinking ship.

Erina abandoned the document and laced her fingers in front of her and rested her chin upon it. Her violet eyes drilled holes into the seat from across her hewn oak desk. It was the same seat Superintendent General Kanda Yuu sat in. He had removed his sword and placed it beside him, leaning it against the plush side. He had crossed his long legs and languidly rested his arms against the armrest, his head tilted up just enough for him to look down his nose at her as if he had done this a million times before. The perfect picture of a victor. It didn't seem like he was intentionally making a big show of his prowess to her. She figured it was more out of habit than anything else, but it still intimidated her. He was absolutely brutal when he broke the news of his purpose for a late night visit like a twig to her.

No mercy, no sympathy, no emotion, no pretext. Only cold, hard, unforgiving facts. She was going to bring Eizan to him and he will be taken down to central Tokyo. That was exactly what he said. Not only that, Eizan was refused bail. When Erina had finally gathered herself enough to splutter how and why the hell was Eizan arrested for this. The Superintendent General relayed it with annoyed curtness.

Erina knew illegal insider trading was a very difficult crime to prove. However he assured her that his team had procured enough evidence against Eizan that was pretty damning and that it would be pointless to hire a defense attorney.

According to him, market surveillance had detected unusual patterns in the stock market around the time of important events such as earning events reports and key corporate developments for select companies. Erina listened with bated breath for every single detail and at the same time yearned to cover her ears. He had looked like he took sickening pleasure in watching her façade crumble as he unloaded onto her the poisonous details of Eizan's arrest. After months of tracking, scouring the stock exchange, detective work, interviews with various investors and interrogations, TMPD received a much-awaited tip-off from one of their contacts. A highly experienced information broker. This person pointed the finger directly at Eizan Etsuya with the final proof they needed to send the top man to go and get him.

Erina had no choice but to get Hisako to summon Eizan from his dormitories.

Eizan was livid but was unable to lift a single finger against the legendary _katana_ wielding police officer.

Erina groaned and fumbled for her drawers for headache medicine. This whole _crisis_ was all Eizan's fault! Not only did the students of Tootsuki eventually found out because Terunori opened his disgustingly huge trap in an open corridor, the Elite Ten were getting _socially burned_ by their fellow students!

Erina couldn't walk around without getting sneers and vicious back-stabbing comments from them without feeling ants crawling under her skin. Tootsuki tried to minimise the damage by threatening to expel any student who breathed a word of it, either in or outside the school, on the phone or via the internet.

With a huge shitstorm waiting to spew from their arse into the public's face and forever cripple the academy swirling in their bowels, Erina and the rest of the Elite Ten had to scramble for ways to save stupid Eizan from five years in jail and a five million yen fine for him and a five hundred million yen fine for them and every other company that was involved in this huge crime.

Erina popped the headache pill into her mouth and gulped it down.

They might not be able to save Eizan from his doom, but they bloody well were going to save Toostuki.

* * *

' _Okay._ Uno: _Greet her and compliment on how beautiful she looks, but don't over-do it._ Due: _Present her these flowers and give her time to smell them and put them somewhere._ Tre: _Ask her if she's ready to leave._ Quattro: _Merda! What's step 4?!'_

Takumi tried really hard to ignore the flattering looks he got from passer-by's. He was obviously over-dressed by daily standards, walking down the suburban streets of Karakura town. He wore his best dress shirt and carried with him his best blazer over his arm and nestled a bouquet of gorgeous blue irises in his other arm. That was because he was finally taking his dear Ayame out on their first date.

THEIR FIRST DATE.

Takumi was an absolute wreck the night before. He ran around like a spooked cat looking for the appropriate attire to wear. He went out and bought a book on _'How to be a gentlemen'_ and Isami found that the most hilarious thing in the world. Also he went spritzing different types of cologne to see which one Ayame would really like, using Isami as the olfactory judge. He already made the appropriate arrangements in organising their first date including booking a taxi to be in front of her house once he came to pick her up. He quadruple checked that everything was in order. Yet he still tossed and turned in bed.

The blonde Italian took comfort in the fact the he and Isami's festival booth arrangements were ship-shape. They got the area and spot they wanted. He ordered all the ingredients and acquired the cooking stoves they needed and they already selected the perfect menu and practiced making them until they could do so with their eyes closed.

In other words, everything was going smooth as _cognac._

That left Takumi Aldini to sort out his date arrangements.

Isami wasn't kidding when he said he needed to take Valium to calm his nerves. But since Valium required a prescription and wasn't easily accessible to international students like them, he improvised by taking a shot of the special _cognac_ Isami brought back from _Italia_ to achieve the same effects and calm his nerves.

' _Aha! Step four was to offer her my arm or hand and smile as if she was my moon and stars'_ Takumi grinned, feeling the butterflies in his stomach quieten down. One triumph so far!

Takumi controlled himself not to crush the bouquet of blue irises in his grip. That would _not_ be good. The calming effects of _cognac_ must be wearing off. It was six o'clock on the dot and the summer sun was on its journey to the west making it still seem like a late afternoon than evening. But that was ok, their date didn't start until seven-thirty anyway. Soon Takumi took in a deep breath upon the sight of Ayame's house around the corner. Its façade reflected the sun beautifully, capturing the warm colours.

' _That's odd… It's never been there before'_

There was a black sedan parked in the driveway.

* * *

Ayame had no idea what she was doing.

She had spent the whole morning picking out which outfit to wear. Takumi-kun had told her to dress formally, but didn't specify how formal. Takumi-kun was so stylish, so how formal was the right sort of formal to match him? Furthermore, he didn't give her any clues as to what their date was. That left them with a back and forth guessing game the night he came over and made _bruschetta_ which ended in smooth kisses to distract her and steer her attention away to 'other' things.

That suaveness…

Chizuru-chan had come over this afternoon to help her with make-up. Ayame never took a profound interest in those things. She only used simple moisturiser with sunscreen, concealer and eyeliner, exclusive to special occasions. If one had good and healthy skin to begin with, then one should never need to cake oneself with make-up. In fact, constantly suffocating the skin with cosmetics was damaging no matter what anyone said. It clogged up pores and created pimples when applied on by amateurs like the girls in her high school. It did _nothing_ to hide the pimples on their face, as their thick foundation made their skin look like the surface of the moon. Also, if it wasn't cleaned up properly… Hello Tycho Crater.

Ayame was lucky that _Okaa-san_ made her eat lots of fruit and drank lots of water when she was a kid and to this day, she still ate at least three pieces of fruit out of habit. She guessed it payed off because Chizuru-chan was always griping about her skin whilst having their little make-up session.

It was almost time. Ayame checked herself once again in the bathroom. She had chosen a nice, deep wine coloured dress. She checked the straps over her shoulders had covered her bra-strap properly and that it wasn't showing at the back. The back was lower than what she was used to, but Chizuru-chan assured her that it would be more than fine for Takumi-kun. The dressed hugged her slim body really well and flared into broad neat pleats at her waist, reaching her knees. She donned a pair of white, low wedges.

Ayame twisted and turned in front of the mirror. Her stomach started to feel a bit nauseous with all this pre-date jitters. She decided that it was best to leave her hair down. It had a grown a bit longer and was now reaching the bottom of her shoulder blades. She borrowed Chizuru-chan's hair curler and curled her hair to make them a tiny bit wavier and give it more volume using an online video tutorial to help her. Would Takumi-kun like this?

 _Knock, Knock, Knock_

" _OTOU-SAN!_ Don't you dare touch that door!" Ayame hollered as she ran downstairs, being careful not to trip.

Just as she made it, midway down, _Otou-san_ was already there. He was still wearing his work clothes which was a white-dress shirt with that same skinny black tie he never washed. _Otou-san_ stood by the door scowling with crossed arms over his broad chest. His brows were dipped in a serious frown and then rolled his eyes at her, his lips a thin line. That was his work face.

 _Otou-san_ was a very stern and strict, but loving _Otou-san_.

Until she told him she was going on a date tonight.

Shit hit the fan like no tomorrow.

He turned last night's dinner time into a high profile interrogation session. _Otou-san_ had a really odd way of showing that he cared for the family and Ayame was used to it all her life. On top of his excessive 'display of protective fatherly care', he had steamrolled on to ask her sneaky questions to trick her into painting Takumi-kun as a sleaze bag delinquent mafia boy from Italy who was probably looking for an easy route to get a green card to Japan. It was strange of him to hang around to wash the dishes this time because he always left it up to her and _Okaa-san_ to do it. So of course Ayame took advantage of him and stuck him with rinsing and drying to deter him away. That didn't work he belted question after questions.

Of course _he_ didn't work on her either as she replied with two worded monotonous replies so vague that even he wouldn't be able to nit-pick anything from it. Unlike every criminal in Tokyo who bent backwards to his wishes on command once he broke their will, she was Kanda Ayame.

She was the daughter of the Superintendent General of the TMPD.

"I'm your father. There's no point delayin' the fucking inevitable. This is my fucking shinin' moment" he smiled savagely at her, the tell-tale sign that he had a trick card up his sleeve.

"Nuh uh. If _Okaa-san_ was here, she would tell you off _so hard_. And I'm _so_ going to make sure that happens if you don't get away from over there"

He stared at her blankly as if she was just an uninteresting trinket in a ubiquitous shop window. "Your hair's messed up"

" _AYAAAAAAAAA!"_

Ayame's hands flew to her hair and she bolted up to the second floor, completely missing the sarcastic 'Tch' from him.

* * *

Takumi stood outside for a good five minutes wondering if he should knock again. He wasn't really comfortable with knocking doors because it felt more intrusive compared to ringing or pressing the doorbell. Why should the door receive the business end of his knuckles just because he wanted to announce his arrival? The blonde Italian started sweating behind his neck when he heard yelling inside from a high pitched female voice and then a deep male voice. Curious, he was about to peep his head around to see if everything was ok through the front window but the door swung open catching him completely off guard.

Narrow, black eyes glared down at him.

The man who forcefully opened the door towered over him. He was a beautiful man who possessed the classic male oriental beauty. Takumi felt he was being visual stripped piece by piece by the sharp, narrow gaze of the man blocking the doorway. It was like he was being scrutinised for every single fault imaginable from inside to outside and it was more terrifying than chef Shinomiya's judging. Takumi was petrified, feeling his breath suddenly constrict, as if an immense and ominous pressure was crushing his lungs. Within his fear Takumi was confused as to who this person was, however he quickly erased the thought when he caught a glimpse of the muscles beneath his dress shirt ripple as he crossed his arms making him look even more threatening. Those arms could crush him like a soda can. Takumi had never felt so frightened in his _life_ or _for_ his life. The man continued to glare at him with immense and unmasked hatred. He sneered, instantly letting Takumi know that he was unwelcomed. Takumi quickly glanced at the black sedan in the driveway and instantly made the connection.

"Yeah, that's my fucking car"

Takumi shot his eyes back the front at the condescending aggressiveness of his voice. This was Ayame's dad. _Her DAD._ Her _policeman_ dad.

His mouth went instantly dry.

' _Santa Madre di Cristo! It's really him! Merda, what do I say?!'_ Takumi frantically screamed in his head, his thoughts a mess. It was too late now. Her father could probably taste his fear from the moment he laid his hawk-like eyes on him, like a predator about to pounce on a pathetic prey.

"M-m-my name is Takumi Aldini! I'm…uh… h-here to take A-Ayame-san out for a d-date t-tonight!"

The glare intensified.

Takumi's teeth chattered behind his lips, regretting his choice of words so much right now.

"Tch"

Unexpectedly, the tall man moved away, only breaking eye contact in the last second before going back inside, leaving the doorway clear. Takumi released a big sigh he didn't know he was holding.

 _"Come the fuck in, or fuck the fuck off"_

"Y-Yes sir!"

Takumi shoved his soul back into his body and dug out the courage to move his leg over the threshold. Oh no… his bouquet for Ayame were slightly drooping in his arms. Takumi removed his shoes and slowly crept into the living room. His eyes instantly connected with the terrifying male who stood rigidly by the sofa. He gulped, feeling sweat beading on his forehead this time. He couldn't tear his eyes away from him and Ayame's father continued to glare him down in the oppressive silence.

Was he waiting for something?

Ayame's father slightly inclined his head to the opposite sofa.

' _R-right. He wants me to sit down_ … _'_

Takumi immediately obeyed. He sat with a stiff back, careful not to lean on the backrest and his feet flat on the floor. Ayame's father remained standing, overshadowing him as if he was a criminal handcuffed to a table.

"You've been here before"

"Yes sir!" Takumi instantly replied, not wanting to be disrespectful in anyway. "Rest assured, we didn't—"

"You've been here before to cook her dinner on multiple occasions. You don't think I fucking know what goes on in my house whether I'm fucking there or not?" He growled at him.

Takumi instantly closed his mouth. This was worse than any job interview horror story he's ever heard. He was about to open his mouth again when he was cut off immediately.

"Let me spare you the fucking trouble. You're a sixteen-year-old brat sent from Italy with your twin brother to study at the fucking prick of a school Tootsuki in the middle school division and now high school division to pursue a career as a… _chef_ "

He spat the word 'chef' out as if it tasted disgusting.

"You currently live with your brother in Minamikawase apartment blocks owned by Matsuoka Ran on level 3, apartment B on your parents money, paying a rent of 192, 263.16 yen per month. Your brother's recently returned from Italy three and a half days ago. Your family owns a well known diner in Florence and your father was also once a Tootsuki student who graduated in the class of sixty-nine"

"H-How did you -?"

" _I'm a policeman. Do the fucking math"_

The blonde Italian was dizzy from all the cussing. He suddenly remembered Namikaze warning him about Ayame's father somewhere in the bottom drawer of his mind, but he didn't think that he'd be _this_ terrifying as a policeman. What was the point of him telling Takumi all this information about himself and Isami? It was a scare tactic designed to make him piss his pants. Ayame's father was showing him that as a highly experienced policeman, he could absolutely uncover _anything he wanted_ about him, his brother, his school, the rest of his family at the tip of his fingers and anything between him and Ayame. Takumi could barely imagine what kinds of things her father could do with any information he found.

It was a loud and clear warning.

"I don't even know why the fuck she would choose an Italian one-trick pony like you" he scoffed as if he couldn't care less that said Italian one-trick pony was right there…

"With all due respect sir, I think-" Takumi spoke up, starting to clench his bouquet.

 _"Otou-san!"_

Ayame's father was about cut him off to give him another verbal lashing when he was interrupted by an annoyed voice from the stairs. Takumi instantly shot up from his seat on the sofa, still with his blazer in his arms and the bouquet of irises in his grasp, turning his attention solely to the voice.

He was floored. Ayame looked absolutely _beautiful_. She stood in middle of the stairs with her hands gripped onto the banister in anger. She wore a deep-red dress, resembling the rich colour of red wine from a crystal claret. It accentuated her verdant green eyes, creating a a stunning depth and a glowing vibrance. Her skin was glowing with an ethereal paleness, possibly with the aid of a touch of simple make-up, but that was enough for her. Her hair was slightly curled to fall like midnight black wavy silken locks against her smooth creamy shoulders. All anxiety, fear and nerves disappeared from him like wisps of smoke from a blown-out candle. Takumi was truly the luckiest man on earth.

" _Otou-san._ Leave Takumi-kun alone" she snapped, stomping downstairs towards them. She threw her father an agitated look, reducing him into a begrudged grumble, before gracing Takumi with her lovely smile, which jump-started his heart. He felt his face heat up and could smell the light scent of apple and mimosa. It was her perfume and it smelt really good.

"Umm… You look beautiful. Oh! a-and these are for you" he said, presenting his flowers to her. Takumi could feel a burning glare on the side of his head.

"For me? Oh, these are so pretty! _Aren't they Otou-san?_ " she said the last bit with menacing sweetness through clenched teeth.

" _Tch"_ her father scoffed, turning his head away to avoid looking at them and an angry vein pulsed on his temple.

"Let me put these in water" Ayame took his hand and lead him into the kitchen.

Takumi threw a tentative look over his shoulder at Ayame's father, but was met with a look that exuded so much killing intent, Takumi felt his airways restricting again. Those deathly eyes were saying ' _It's not fucking over yet'_ loud and clear.

"Did _Otou-san_ hurt you?" Ayame whispered to him as she found a vase and began filling it with water.

"Uh…no? Should he have?" he asked perplexed, looking over again to see if the policeman followed them into the kitchen.

"Good... I wouldn't be surprised if he tried" she unwrapped the bouquet and placed them neatly in the vase, arranging the flowers so that it was spread evenly. She broke into a smile and a blush as she sniffed the beautiful blue irises. Ayame took the vase and placed it in the middle of the dining table.

"Don't touch my flowers _Otou-san!"_ she called out into the living, but no one replied.

Takumi escorted Ayame back into the living room and her father was still there bur this time standing by the door again. Takumi straightened his back. If he was going to be allowed to continue courting Ayame, he needed to get pass the father. He was sure every boyfriend went through that stage. Unfortunately, her father was the most difficult boss monster he had to face and he'd be damn if he didn't show to him that he had a back-bone and wasn't some push-over school boy. He was an _Aldini_ and a _signore italiano_ after all and they took on any challenges with gusto for their woman!

"Sir, I'll be taking Ayame-san out to dinner tonight for our first date" he said with a strange, stilling calmness in his voice. Were his words enough to show back-bone? He wasn't sure.

Her father scanned his face.

"Have her back by eleven-thirty. You fuck-up even once and return her late by one fucking second, I'll deport your arse back to Italy" he snarled back.

" _Otou-san!"_ Ayame yelled, her face puffing up with angry redness. He stared back at her, obviously convinced that he hadn't said anything out of line.

"Done" said Takumi resolutely.

A honking sound echoed from out in the street. The taxi he booked had arrived right on time and Takumi internally cheered. Something went right for once today. Takumi nodded at Ayame, letting her know that the taxi was for them.

"Alright, we're leaving now _Otou-san_. You've been working too hard. Just relax for once, that way you'd be less of an insufferable grumpy-puss" Ayame leaned up on her toes and gave her father a quick peck on the cheek and he grunted, however he didn't make a move to push her away or wipe his cheek. He had known plenty of his friends' parents back in _Italia_ who would always sabotage their childrens' relationships and even went as far as interfered at every opportunity until they broke up beyond repair. For a long time he thought that was a 'parenting' thing.

However from someone who was as powerful as Ayame's father who supposedly was the head of the TMPD and who had known about _everything_ from the start, he didn't do a single thing to interfere. Threatened? Yes, but interfered? No. That made Takumi pause in thought. He could tell that Ayame pretty much had him wrapped around her fingers.

Like daddy's little princess.

As long as Takumi didn't 'fuck-up', he should be safe from that terrifying man. He was confident. He was _sure_ he was confident. Nope, he wasn't confident.

* * *

"What do you mean _Otou-san_ had known about everything between us from the start!" Ayame groaned.

She thought she did a superb job in hiding everything about Takumi-kun! There was no way that Chizuru-chan would accidentally say anything to _Otou-san_ because well… there were no such things as accidents when it came to Chizuru-chan. Also Kuchiyose-kun was still selectively mute. He had met _Okaa-san_ briefly but that was only when they were just friends and she was too busy to have a chat with _Otou-san_ about Takumi-kun anyway. Plus! She was overseas and she only video-chatted with Ayame. If by any chance that she _did_ video chatted with _Otou-san_ too, she wouldn't breath a single word about Takumi-kun to her over-reactive husband because that was like lifting one's foot off a landmine once it was already stepped on. Ayame mentally slapped her forehead. What was she thinking when she thought she could hide everything from _Otou-san_? He was the embodiment of the freaking police! That's what happened when one's parent was a police officer with twenty years of military and JSDF experience under their belt. There was no way she could've hid Takumi-kun from him for that long.

But she still got away with it… Actually that was incorrect. She _didn't get away_ with anything because _Otou-san_ had known all along. However, he had done _nothing_ about it. Her teeth immediately set on edge… there had got to be some ulterior motive here… Maybe she should play the _'Daddy? I really, really love you and you're the best daddy in the whole word'_ card, like she always did to wheedle him into letting her do whatever she wanted, if he starts showing signs of going out to murder Takumi-kun and make it look like an accident.

"Your father knew that _Pappa_ went to Tootsuki and I never told anyone that, so he's done thorough research on me" said Takumi. "Doesn't matter anymore, this is a special night for us and don't let yourself get bogged down by your father. Enjoy it with me!" he gave her a reassuring smile.

"You're right Takumi-kun, this is our night" Ayame breathed out and squeezed his arm as Takumi-kun escorted her down the streets of Ikebukuro.

Ayame was really surprised that their date spot would be in the famous commercial and entertainment district of Tokyo where all the trendy restaurants were. She'd never been to Ikebukuro, but Kuchiyose-kun had been on some occasions and he always described it's vibrant and kaleidoscopic lighting from the many buildings and shopping stores. It was a special ward within Tokyo and it really fitted its title. The streets were bustling with many people and the traffic noises drowned out a lot of almost every other noise. The city was so alive!

It was a good forty-minute taxi ride from Karakura town to Ikebukuro. That was because Karakura town was located in Western Tokyo and Ikebukuro was towards the centre of Tokyo and Ayame immensely enjoyed the scenery whizzing past the window.

Takumi-kun looked incredibly handsome and smart tonight. He was dressed in a white, crisp dress shirt and a smart-casual blazer. He wore black pants and simple black shoes also. His hair was gelled back against his scalp, making him look very cool and mature. The fact that his hair was out of his face meant that she could see gorgeous blue eyes a lot more clearly and it was brighter under the city lights. Ayame never thought she would see this side of him and to be honest, it excited her very much. She was so glad that she made a lot more effort to dress herself tonight as if she didn't, she would have paled in comparison to him. Ayame couldn't look at him properly without her flushing red all the way to her neck. When Takumi-kun had opened the taxi door for her when entering and exiting, it made her feel so special, like she was being treated like a real lady. Also when he offered his arm for her to hold and escorted her around the streets like he knew exactly where he was going, Ayame felt incredible comfortable and all thoughts about her 'alpha male dad' went out the window.

' _Takumi-kun is really pulling out all the stops tonight'._

"Here we are"

Ayame looked up and was met with warm lighting coming from the floor to ceiling window of a particularly trendy looking restaurant.

"' _Restaurant F'_ … I think I've heard of this place before! It's an Italian restaurant and it always have really good reviews in the gourmet magazines" said Ayame in wonder.

" _Sì!_ And tonight you will see why" Takumi-kun smirked at her.

Ayame blushed heavily and followed her date into the fine-dining restaurant. Excitement was ready to spill from her guts and so she opted to play with her fingers while they waited to be seated. She really wanted to ask Takumi-kun how in the cosmos was he able to make reservations because this place looked like it could be exclusive to… people too important for her to know, but she didn't want to be rude, so she kept quiet instead and gawked at the beautiful paintings that lined the walls. Soon a waitstaff gracefully appeared before them.

"Reservation for two" Takumi-kun said smoothly.

"Name, sir?"

"Takumi Aldini"

"Of course, right this way sir" The waitstaff had the perfect poker face and he lead them over to a flawlessly set out table complete with shining silverware near the windows. Ayame's excitement overcame with such nervousness. She'd never been to a high class restaurant before! She almost jumped in surprise when the wait staff pulled out her chair for her to sit and almost yelped when he flapped open her napkin and gently placed it over her lap.

' _Being treated like a lady is full of surprises'_

The waiter handed each of them a menu and Ayame received it with shaky hands. She was _certainly_ glad that she dressed up more formally. Once she opened the menu and read the list of all the gorgeous dishes, she almost drooled.

"Would you like to start off with some drinks?" asked the waiter with utter professionalism.

"Sparkling water and Ayame…?" Takumi-kun looked at her expectantly.

"Lemon-lime bitters please" Ayame smiled at the waiter.

"Very good" said the waiter and he glided away.

Soon Takumi-kun and Ayame were left in a comfortable silence as they perused their menus. Soft music played in the background and it was a mixture between something like jazz and blues. The soft trickling of the water feature was so gentle, it almost harmonised with the music. This must be a sound proof restaurant because she could barely hear any traffic from the outside world from their bubble.

"Do you like it?"

"Hmm?" Ayame looked up and hoped there wasn't any saliva on her chin for Takumi-kun ot see because that would have been hella embarrassing. His eyes were more piercing than usual and this new look he had was sending delicious electric shots through her veins. "Oh! Uh, yes of course. This place is incredible. Even better that it's an Italian restaurant" Ayame giggled.

"I knew you would" Takumi-kun breathed out, sounding like he was relieved. Ayame found him a hundred percent adorable this evening, not just handsome.

Soon the both of them picked out their _antipasto_ and then their mains. Ayame felt it in her bones. This was going to be the most magical evening of her high school life.

* * *

"Oh. My. God. I don't want to sound slack on our first date, but I think the food here is more amazing than yours" Ayame giggled. She knew that Takumi-kun wouldn't take offense for her words because why would he take her to a place he knew was below the level of his cooking anyway?

He chuckled warmly at her. Ayame had the most delicious dish on planet earth. It was a _Linguine alla Vastese_. It was a seafood pasta dish, a specialty from the Italian town _Vasto_ in the _Abruzzo_ region of Italy which Takumi-kun kindly explained to her. The seafood tasted so good! She could tell it was fresh and perfectly cooked as the textures were soft and silky, not rubbery or too firm which was characteristic of pre-frozen seafood. The flavours were simple, and she could taste the marriage between the parsley, garlic and lemon. The anchovies gave the dish a great kick and she knew she'll be raving about this delectable dish for ages.

Takumi-kun on the other hand had the _Maccheroni alla Chitarra_. It was directly translated as 'Macaroni Guitar'. Takumi-kun explained that it was called that because the pasta shape was like guitar strings. This spicy dish came from the province of _Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy_. Ayame thought it was cute that they both chose dishes that originated from the same regions. It was like they were wearing a matching necklace, only foodish. She might be treated as a lady, but she most certainly was unlady-like when she wanted to steal a bit of food off of Takumi-kun's plate and he was more than happy to let her. His dish also tasted amazing! The lamb in his pasta was so moist and tender that it practically melted in her mouth. The spiciness was just right. Not too overpowering, but enough to leave a good impression on the palate.

"I hope you have some room for desserts" said Takumi-kun, taking a sip out of his sparkling water.

"I always make room for desserts" she winked at him. She thought she saw Takumi-kun blush, but he hid it by coughing into his fist and called for the waiter for the dessert menu.

"Ah yes, Aldini-san. I was instructed to tell you from the head chef, that you are not to order any desserts, because desserts have already been taken care of. Please just wait a moment"

"What?" Takumi-kun furrowed his eyebrows. Uh oh… was this not part of the plan?

The waiter left before he could reveal any more about this mysterious dessert that was supposedly been taken care of and Takumi-kun was looking flushed around the collar and thoroughly confused. Soon, a large tray of a colourful assortment of sweet petite, desserts came out from the double doors and came straight to their table.

"Aya!"

They were so pretty!

There was a little classic _tiramisu,_ Blueberry _Panacotta, Cannoli,_ A tiny, circular _Genoise_ cake, _Mini crepe wrapped around fresh fruits and cream, Six different flavours of gelato,_ A slice of honeycomb _semifreddo,_ Pavlova covered with chocolate and strawberries, A selection of chocolate truffles.

"Uh… What is this?" asked Ayame.

"That, young miss, is a dessert degustation platter. Basically it's a sample of every single dessert that is on the menu for you to enjoy" he said smoothly. "Oh and they are with compliments from the head chef"

"They're for free?!" Takumi-kun exclaimed with shock. "But chef Mizuhara needn't go this far!" he continued.

"On the contrary sir, she is very happy to have you dining in her restaurant tonight with your companion" replied the waiter.

"W-Wait a minute, you know the head chef h-here?!" Ayame stammered, still reeling from the artistic platter of the finest Italian desserts she's ever seen.

" _Sì_. Chef Mizuhara Fuyumi is a Tootsuki alumnus who graduated in the class of seventy-nine and was the second best in her grade. Her specialty is in Italian cuisine. I met her last year during a our first rapport building training camp. Sh-She wanted to recruit Isami and I to work for her" Takumi-kun explained.

' _Damn! Takumi-kun was well sought after in the culinary world'_

"Well… You've clearly made a really good impression on her… and we can't reject something so generous… and it's already in front of us, right there, only thirty centimetres away from my mouth…" said Ayame, her words beginning to taper off as she stared mesmerised by the dessert degustation platter. She could already feel saliva pooling in her mouth.

"Yeah, there's no going back now when you are making a face like _that_ … Please send chef Mizuhara our utmost thanks" said Takumi-kun happily to the waiter.

"Very good, sir"

* * *

 **WARNING! Underage drinking is not recommended. The Aldini twins have been drinking** _ **limoncello**_ **(Italian liqueur) below the allowed age in this story and now Takumi's had a bit of cognac to calm his nerves. Well, they are ITALIAN which is the only excuse I came up with haha...**

 **We can safely assume Takumi and Ayame had their perfect first date :) Writing this gave me fuzzy feelings. Takumi and Ayame's father are going to be fishing buddies HAHAHAHA... not. Did Takumi get Ayame home on time and spared himself the wrath of the** _ **katana-**_ **wielding-policeman father?**

 **Oh no... Eizan... what have you done...**

 **I hope you all liked this chapter and had a Merry Christmas :) Let me know what you think and I'll see you in 5 days!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	13. Tootsuki's Summer Solstice Festival!

_Chapter 13 – Tootsuki's Summer Solstice Festival!_

* * *

" _Welcome to the Tootsuki Summer Solstice Festival!"_

Ayame was so pumped for this evening. She thanked the female students standing in their colourful summer _yukata_ welcoming in herself, Chizuru-chan and the festival go-ers from the opulently decorated front entrance. They were so pretty and exuberant, and Ayame received the festival guide from them with equal enthusiasm. She had practically arranged her schedule around this very day. She even made sure to call Chizuru-chan a million times so that she couldn't evade this fantastic food festival. Kuchiyose-kun on the other hand didn't need constant check-ups because once he made a decision to do something or go somewhere, he was faithfully committed.

"Over here Chizuru-chan! We need to exchange our money for their tickets!" Ayame grabbed her best friend's arm and dragged her along, dodging people until they found themselves joined in the queue for the booth responsible for exchanging their money for the special credit tickets, before it got too long.

The Summer Solstice Festival was teeming with festival-goers, the sign of a soon-to-be successful event. There were many people around their age attending and she had spotted a few students she recognised from Karakura High school amongst the throng, but they were too far away to say hello. Bright and colourful streamers, bunting and stall signs sprang up everywhere adding to the happy occasion. The soft glow of festival lanterns really impressed Ayame because it was strung up nicely like winking fireflies, bringing together the perfect festival mood. Also the loud buzzing of shouts, yells, laughter and cries of welcome was so refreshing that Ayame wished there were festival's every day. The atmosphere was saturated with the smell of delicious food from the food strip, the whole reason why they were here tonight.

"I don't get why they have this system where we have to exchange our perfectly normal Japanese yen for their weird form of festival currency" her best friend rolled her eyes and groaned.

"They are special credit tickets. These credits are used as currency to keep track of daily sales. So all the stalls can add their total earnings at the end of the day or week, or whatever, more easily and with fewer complications" explained Ayame. She bounced on the balls of her feet, brimming with so much energy.

"And the subtext was… students can't be trusted handling _real money_ because if they did, who knows if they end up stealing a percentage of their stall earnings or Academy profits for themselves and the Academy wouldn't have a way of finding out. Therefore they invent a fake currency, exclusive to a limited-time only event that is pre-sold at the festival entrance, so that the money is guaranteed to land in their pockets before us festival-goers even go and _buy_ the food"

Ayame really wanted to wrestle her into a headlock and give her the biggest noogie of the century. How the hell did Chizuru-chan extrapolate all that just from three sentences? However, her interpretation did ring true to some degree… Just because she was here against her will, she needn't to be a spoiled sport about it. Right?!

"You sure find the best qualities in everything you see…" Ayame's squinted her eyes in disapproval and jabbed her finger in her face, drawling sarcastically at her stubborn best friend.

"That's what I live for, sweetie" Chizuru-chan snorted triumphantly and checked her phone.

"Oh! We're at the front of the line now" Ayame skipped up, leaving her behind to continue texting.

Ayame exchanged her money for a combination of melon tickets which equated to five hundred yen and strawberry tickets which were a thousand yen. Ayame refrained from purchasing the _Asagao_ tickets which were ten thousand yen because she didn't want to burn a hole in her wallet. Chizuru-chan did the same.

"Hey, Kuchiyose-kun is a bit late. Do you know where he is?" asked Ayame.

"I just texted him. He said that he went to buy a loop pedal for his acoustic this afternoon. Said something about not having enough time in the morning due to soccer practice" said Chizuru-chan looking around. "He said for us to go ahead without him and that he'd catch up"

Ayame thought for a moment chewing her lower lip. She supposed they could do that. She really wanted Kuchiyose-kun to be here so that they could enjoy the festival together as a group. Also that she will have a migraine if she was going to be alone with Chizuru-chan the whole time. She was liable to gripe about everything. She needed a buffer like Kuchiyose-kun to calm her best friend down. But the most important thing was that they were her two best friends in the whole world and she really wanted all of them to be together on this special event.

"I guess it can't be helped…" Ayame sighed.

"Cheer up, it will be easy to spot Kuchiyose-kun at some point since he sticks out like a sore, purple thumb" Chizuru-chan gave her a cheesy smile and the 'V' sign.

"Okay. Let's do this!"

With renewed vigour, Ayame snapped open the festival guide and eagerly scanned the list of available stalls and their grid references on the provided map. There were three different areas, they could go to. There was the Main Street area, Central area and the Uptown area. Each place was set up to feature different things. Main street for food, Central for teaching cooking techniques and of course, Uptown for the exclusive people to wine and dine. Also, there would be musical entertainment just between the Main street area and Central area. That should be a lot of fun. The aroma wafting in from the Main Street area was very distracting. Her eyes trailed downwards until it landed on a familiar name. _Polar Star Dorms._ According to the guide, there was an _okonomiyaki_ and _monjayaki_ stall set up by the Polar Star Dormitory! Tadokoro-san was so polite and generous for her time when she and her friends toured around Tootsuki, so Ayame definitely had to go pay them a visit. She hooked her elbows around Chizuru-chan's and led the way to the area where delicious Polar Star _okonomiyaki_ and _monjayaki_ was waiting for her.

"Come and get it! Come and get it! The best duck egg _okonomiyaki_ you'll ever see!"

Ayame's mouth watered. _Duck eggs?!_ She loved duck eggs! Her grandma used to make rice porridge with salted duck eggs when she was sick. Unfortunately, she was no longer a part of the living plane but the idea of duck eggs always conjured up the warm and loving memories of her grandmother.

"I'd like a duck egg _okonomiyaki!_ " Ayame called out and slapped a melon ticket onto the counter.

"You got it!"

A ginger haired girl began pouring the _okonomiyaki_ batter expertly on the griddle. Steam cascaded all around and Ayame was captivated at the speed and skill this girl demonstrated whilst shaping the okonomiyaki. She was incredibly animated as she cooked right before her eyes. It was so easy to see her passion in cooking, just from the way she was having immense fun despite the back-breaking work. Next she spread the toppings. This included the traditional bonito flakes, pickled ginger, slices of pork belly, seaweed sprinkles, _okonomiyaki_ sauce and finally…

SLICED DUCK EGGS

Ayame couldn't contain herself and just moaned. The sharp sizzling of the _okonomiyaki_ made her stomach grumble and she squeezed Chizuru-chan's elbow tighter causing her to yell in surprise. The young chef handled the sliced duck eggs with unbelievable care and respect to the point where the cooked yolk didn't even crumble an ioto or shifted at all. Ayame would trust her duck eggs with this chef at any time.

"You're a very hungry one, aren't you?" the ginger-haired chef said cheekily.

"You have no idea!" Ayame yelled in return.

She received her duck egg _okonomiyaki_ in a foam container with wooden chopsticks and bestowed on the brilliant and energetic chef a million thanks. The ginger-haired chef struck a funny pose and it made Ayame laugh. This girl was riot! She appeared young for her age and she looked like a great person to hang out with. Ayame parted a small piece of the _okonomiyaki_ , making sure to get some duck egg. It was absolutely divine. The duck eggs brought a new height of flavour to the _okonomiyaki_. The richness of the duck eggs melted in her mouth and it really did remind her of _Obaa-san_. The way she was so loving, caring and tender. Ayame suddenly remembered the other reason she came to the Polar Star _okonomiyaki_ and _monjayaki_ stall. She wanted to drop a hello to Takumi-kun's friend.

"Oh! By the way, I'm looking for Tado—"

"Oi, Yuuki-chan! Stop dilly-dallying! We have like a hundred more customers here!" somebody yelled from the other side of the stall.

"Coming Ryouko-cchi!" the ginger-haired chef named Yuuki yelled back. Ayame thought the name suited her vibrant and spunky personality.

"Sorry, I gotta go. But do come back!" with that, she hopped away to get back to work.

Ayame nodded in understanding. There was a massive flock of people around the stall. She would try to come back later. She did wonder where Tadokoro Megumi was. Perhaps she had to run a small errand? At any case, she would be back. She walked away with Chizuru-chan and shared her _okonomiyaki_ with her. Chizuru-chan hesitantly picked at it before placing it on her tongue. Ayame watched on as she chewed the piece of Japanese pancake carefully, as if she was trying to analyse everything about it.

"Hmm. I like it. The batter is fluffy, and the cabbage is crunchy" said Chizuru-chan, helping herself to another mouthful.

"See, I told you you'd like coming here"

"Don't get your hopes up" her best friend said in a deadpanned fashion.

Ayame ignored her and she devoured the rest of the _okonomiyaki_ and threw the foam container into an almost full rubbish can. It was a small serving but extremely satisfying and even then, she was still hungry for other dishes to try. Ayame opened up the guide again and slid her finger down the column to pinpoint her next target.

"Oh hey! There's a Korean street food stall at this end of the Main Street area. We don't have any Korean restaurants in Karakura Town, so we can't miss this" said Ayame.

"Sure, ok. Let's check it out" replied Chizuru-chan.

The two girls squeezed themselves through the crowd of teenagers as they navigated their way to a broad area where the Korean food stall was located.

* * *

"… are you sure this place is _Korean?!_ "

Ayame and Chizuru stopped dead in their tracks when they realised this Korean food stall was absolutely abandoned, like a haunted shack. Not a single festival-goer went within three metres of the place. The pungent smell of chilli paste, fermented soybeans and other fermented things invaded her senses. It wasn't the usual fermented smell of traditional Japanese cooking. _It stank!_ It made her nose hair curl and never want to regrow. If Ayame was a _kenjutsu_ master swordsman like _Otou-san_ , she could probably feel her _qi s_ mothered by the evil, ominous and sickening aura which cloaked the small stall. A random maniacal cackling erupted from within and it made Ayame want to high-tail it out of there. According to the menu board, the Korean food stall sold _hotteok, tteobokki, gimbap_ and _japchae_. Ayame was unfamiliar with these dishes, and once upon a time, she wanted to try them. Now that they arrived here… she changed her mind.

' _It looks so decrepit…'_

 _"A-Aya_ … Let's try some other place, I'm sure there's other K-Korean food stalls around" Ayame smiled weakly and shuffled a step back and quickly turned around to make her escape.

 _Iron-clad fingers seized her arm in a steel-like vice._

" _Ara_ … Where do you think you are going _Ayame-chan~_ "

Hairs at the back of her stood at attention. Ayame slowly turned around to be sucked into the deep brown pools of Chizuru-chan's eyes, which swirled with half-cocked madness. It was horrifying! Her mouth split into a satanic grin, baring her bright, white teeth at her. Oh no… what was going on? Something insane must be possessing her mind. The only other time her best friend looked that way was when she tied up the High School Bitch of Karakuru in the bathroom and made her watch her pour her precious Chanel _Eu de Parfum_ down the sink. According to her, the suspension was worth it. Her grip didn't loosen at all, tightened actually, even when Ayame had no way of running. Something told her she would live to regret this.

"Ch-Chizuru-chan..?" Ayame stammered.

"You dragged me to this festival when I didn't want to go, so the least you could do is try out the food _I want to eat_. You owe me that much, don't you?" Chizuru-chan sneered at her, like the cat cornered the mouse.

"Ahh… about that—"

"Whatever you have to say? _FEEBLE EXCUSES"_ Chizuru-chan pulled Ayame along, who was helpless to get away.

Once they reached the front of the stall, the cackling grew into crazy murmurs. The chef in charge was too busy hovering over a full cast-iron cauldron at the back to notice them. She stirred the viscous mixture with a large stick manned by two hands, making it slop noisily over the side. It was like little devil-hand shaped things trying to claw its way out from the rim. A putrid stench flowed out from it like a radiation leak. It was as black as nightmares and bubbled, releasing a noxious purple gas. The chef lifted her head up, but still took no notice of them. She also looked like the stuff of nightmares. She reminded Ayame strongly of _Sadako_ from _The Ring_ , the world famous Japanese horror film. Her hair was jet black and flowed like thick trails of ink down to her lower back. Her hair covered most of her stark-pale face, giving her a more witch-like appearance. Ayame covered her nose as the stink intensified.

"Ahem!" Chizuru-chan coughed into her hand.

"What? Yes? Who is it?" the hunching chef turned around. Her eyes creeped Ayame the most. It was sinister and lacked the lustre and shine of somebody who belonged to the world of the living. Her mouth also split into a grin just as disturbing as Chizuru-chan's.

"A tray of _tteobokki_ please" said Chizuru-chan, flashing her a melon ticket.

"My, my, my. You certainly are brave. Or maybe someone finally sees the true artistry and hidden beauty behind my eclectic cooking. Ehehehehe!" she rasped eerily.

Ayame clasped her hands over her mouth and nose tighter, adamant to not let a single whiff of the black _thing_ make it to her olfactory senses. Was Chizuru-chan trying to kill her?!

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just hungry for some Korean food. So if you would?" Chizuru impatiently rapped her knuckles on the counter.

"Yes, yes, be patient and watch as I craft the most perfect _tteobokki_ dish you'll ever see! Ehehehehe!"

Ayame watched in terror as Chef _Sadako_ dunk half a packet of cylindrical rice cakes in a pot of boiling water. After a few minutes she scooped them all out into a plastic tray. So far the rice cakes looked completely normal! Even if they were just boiled. Given Tootsuki, anything could happen. Right on the money, Ayame's dream was shattered when the creepy chef slopped over a thick, black sauce and sprinkled some chopped spring onions and sesame seeds.

She presented it to them.

' _There is no way in all the multi-verses that THAT is classified as food!'_

"Enjoy. Ehehehe!" she cackled, rubbing her hands together.

"Ummm, _tteobokki_ sauce is supposed to be redder than this, not black. But anyway, eat up Ayame-chan" Chizuru-chan picked up a cylindrical rice cake, basted in the evil black sauce and ate it. It was far from being red! Not even on the spectrum! Ayame held her breath, not knowing what could possibly happen.

"Hmm, not bad. It's spicy! The way Korean food should be. A little on the salty side though" Chizuru-chan, picked up another rice cake and ate it up the same way as the first one.

"Wh-What?! How could this be! How are you not, writhing with pain and pleasure from my beautifully disgusting combination of fermented sardines, black beans and _gochujang?!"_ Chef _Sadako_ gripped her head and shrieked at Chizuru-chan, as if her confusion from the sight of Chizuru-chan _mildly_ enjoying her God-forsaken dish was squeezing her brain.

"Sorry, I still don't know what you're talking about. Here you go Ayame-chan~"

"Wait _—mmphf!"_

Just like that, Chizuru-chan stuffed into her mouth a slimy, chewy piece of the Korean rice cake, slathering it's sauce over her lips.

It was… It was… It was… good?

No! Something had to be tricking her senses. This putrid stinking thing was defecated by the devil himself! But then why did it taste _good!_ The _umami_ was strong in this one. It seeped through the sauce and into the heart of the _tteobokki_ rice cakes. It stimulated her taste buds in ways she didn't think possible. Her throat was midway between swallowing and gagging. It was a perversion of the famous Korean street food dish of the highest calibre.

"It's good isn't it? Better than anything you've ever tasted. Ehehehehehe~"

' _I'm...speechless!'_

"It's not bad, I'll give you that. Let's go Ayame-chan. Don't you want to find _Mario?"_ Chizuru-chan balanced the tray in her hands and took Ayame's hand in other one, pulling her away. Ayame followed suit in auto-pilot mode. Water. She wanted water. This wasn't right. It wasn't meant to taste this way. The smell was too much. That's right. The smell tricked something in her brain and made the _tteobokki_ delicious. That was probably what happened.

As she expected, Chizuru-chan wasn't affected in the least.

"Remember my name! I am Sadatsuka Nao. Now that you've eaten my food, you won't be seeing the last of me! Ehehehehehe!"

Those were the last words Ayame heard.

"Hey! Mito-san!"

Ayame vaguely heard Chizuru-chan yell from across the Main street area. Mito-san? Were they close to her stall? She started to regain her wits about her as the pair successfully emerged from the dark aura that was the Korean Food stall and into the light of the living. Her dish was an embodiment of bipolarism! The Korean nationals were going to have a massive fit if they ever found out that a Japanese student butchered one of their dishes! Ayame weeped for all the Korean nationals of the world. It was disgusting and tasted delicious! Her mind was in a mess of cognitive dissonance where one side of her absolutely hated what she ate, while the other was loving every single drop of it. It was so mentally taxing.

"Ah! You're Takumi-san's friends. Namikaze-san and Kanda-san right?"

Ayame greeted Mito Ikumi and begged for a bottle of ice tea, which she was more than happy to sell once Chizuru-chan explained the story with lots of animated hand movements of where they had just recently been. Ayame prayed that Mito-san didn't ask to try the _tteobokki,_ which Chizuru-chan still held with her. It looked like Mito knew exactly who it was from anyway just be the story alone.

"Hey, we're looking for _Mario—"_

"It's Takumi-kun!"

"—yeah, him. His and his brother's stall. You know where it is?" asked Chizuru-chan nonchalantly.

Mito-san gave them a quizzical look and handed her spatula to one of her underclassman who was also running the stall.

"You seriously can't tell? It's that one over there, the one surrounded by that embarrassing clan of fan girls"

As soon as Mito-san said 'girls' Ayame immediately sobered up and banished the horrible thoughts of that _tteobokki_ from her mind. So… they were fangirls, were they? Chizuru-chan mentioned it one time when they all went to _Meshina_ for ice cream together, but she thought it was a joke. Looked like it wasn't and they were all over her _boyfriend's_ stall. The verdant eye aspiring engineer saw a problem. An engineer's job was to problem solve. This was a problem that needed solving quickly. She estimated that there were about thirty to forty girls squashed within a ten square metre area of the front of the Aldini twin's stall. The numbers were steadily increasing as more girls came and the ones who already bought their food still hung around and were taking happy snaps of it with their smart phones. Ayame straightened her back and handed Chiuzuru-chan her empty bottle of ice-tea without a word.

"Ayame-chan?"

Ayame barely listened as she marched over to them. Wading through all those bodies was going to be murder so she opted to use the back door method. Instead of meeting the Aldini brothers from the front counter and risk losing an eye from all that elbowing, Ayame ditched Chizuru-chan and bypassed the whole lot until she was directly behind the Aldini brother's stall. She stood by an empty crate and made sure not to knock over any of the large tubs of cooking oil. Takumi-kun and Isami-san didn't notice her hanging around directly behind them at all as they were hard at work. Also the girls were obviously way too focused on trying to get their attention to notice a ubiquitous girl slinking around the back.

The way the two brothers worked together was so fluid and synchronised that they could easily just be fused as one whole being. The dichotomy itself was testimony to the years of experience in working together in the family _trattoria_ , knowing each others' strengths and weaknesses. Not a single mistake was made as they brilliantely pulled off the impossible of pumping out dish after dish of amazing Italian food. Ayame looked over and saw the cool array of dishes her boyfriend and his brother were making, if she guessed correctly their menu consisted of:

Strawberry, lemon and melon _gelato_ wrapped in a fluffy crepe sprinkled with diced fruits and crushed nuts.  
A summer vegetable _frittata_ muffin.  
 _Parmesan_ crusted chips with truffle oil.  
Pumpkin and chestnut risotto for a more Autumnal theme to end the Summer.  
Lots of homemade lemonade.

Ayame thought of something cheeky and crept further into the back of the stall. She tapped Isami-kun on the shoulder. It startled the brunette Italian and he whipped his head around, most likely thinking it was his older twin. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline once he realised it wasn't Takumi-kun and opened his mouth to say something, but Ayame silenced him with the tell-tale signal to stay quiet by putting her finger to her lips and winking at him. Then she pointed at Takumi-kun. Isami-kun widened his sky blue eyes and smiled brightly. He got the message and tried to stifle a chortle as he returned to what he was doing.

"Isami! I need the next back of chestnuts!" Takumi-kun called from the makeshift stove where he was preparing the pumpkin and chestnut _risotto_. She resisted the urge to drool on the spot.

Ayame grabbed the bag of already opened chestnuts before Isami-kun could get his hands on it and went over to Takumi-kun's side. He still didn't notice her standing right next to him, until she plopped it into his awaiting hand.

" _Grazie, Frat—WAHHH! AYAME!"_

Takumi-kun jolted from his spot as soon as he looked up to receive his bag of chestnuts. Ayame held back a bellow of laughter at seeing Takumi-kun's handsome and focused face transform into a red, blubbering mess.

" _Dio mio!_ You scared me! What are you doing on this side of the stall?" he spluttered as he tried to concentrate on dumping the chestnuts into the risotto, at the same time blinking his eyes rapidly at her in disbelief.

Ayame feigned a hurtful expression. "Ayaaa… Why are you yelling at me? I just wanted to come and say hello, but it was impossible get through your customers so I decided to think laterally" she pouted at him.

By this time, the horde of female customers finally took notice of Ayame as she conversed with Takumi-kun. She could hear them begin to screech as to why was one of their own gender on the other side with their precious Aldini Princes. Takumi-kun relaxed into his usual charming smile. He set his pan of _risotto_ on low heat and gave Ayame a peck on the cheek just as Isami came to dominate the front of the stall to hand out their _gelato crepe._

 _Damn_. She wanted those harpies to see some action.

"Sorry. I'm glad you are here _mio bella_. Please! Try some of the _Parmesan_ chips with truffle oil" Takumi-kun pointed to a fresh batch and Ayame's mouth watered. She nicked a piece and popped it into her mouth. It was so hot, she had to fan her open mouth before she could chew it. The truffle oil was fragrant and it made the freshly fried chips taste high class

"Mmm! Fabulous. Like fancy chips" she said, licking the salt off her fingers.

She noticed Takumi-kun blushing heavily as he watched her from the corner of his eyes.

"Hey, can I get some lemon _gelato crepe_ for Chizuru-chan and some of that _risotto_ for myself?" she asked the two brothers sweetly in front of the girls who were shooting her with death glares.

"Sure! Just pop your ticket over there and it will be ready in a few moments" replied Isami-kun.

He cheerfully pointed to a huge rectangular tin box on the table next to him and the _gelato_ machine. Ayame was completely gobsmacked at the amount of strawberry, melon and _Asagao_ tickets stuffed neatly inside! They must have made hundreds of thousands of yen easily and this was only the first day of the festival! Once Ayame turned back around, both of the boys' focus were back onto the plethora of female customers in front of them. The boys were all smiles and charisma as they attracted more and more female customers. Upon closer inspection, some of the girls were wearing headbands saying "Takumi Love" or some rubbish like that. They must be the hardcore fan girls...

"Hey!"

Ayame turned her attention to the high pitch yell that was aimed at her.

"You should be waiting in line with the rest of us! Don't you dare take advantage of the Aldini brother's kindness like that!" she yelled at her.

Ayame channeled her inner Chizuru-chan.

"Well actually, I have an all access pass" Ayame smiled serenely at her.

"What all access pass?"

"This one" Ayame winked at the girl who had the audacity to pick on her "Hey Takumi-kun, I had a _really_ great time last Friday night. It was my first time being in Ikebukuro too. We should _definitely_ try out other places there" she gave him her best smile. She stood a bit more to the side as to not be in the way of the Aldini brothers, but close enough for the girls to hiss.

Takumi-kun blushed crimson as he spooned some _risotto_ into a plastic bowl for a gushing customer. "Of course. Anything you want" he said.

" _Did you hear that? They went to Ikebukuro together. AT NIGHT!"_

" _Isn't Ikebukuro a trendy place famous for its night life?!"_

" _Could this mean…?"_

How did they know she and Takumi went to Ikebukuro? No matter, Ayame relished in the girls freaking out over her words. The best part was it was all true. She couldn't out-rightly tell the whole lot that she and Takumi-kun were dating because it wouldn't be as fun. She wanted to see them slowly unravel, like picking out and straightening electrical wires. Her engineering mind turned in her head. The impact was stronger when they figured it out for themselves. Fortunately for her, Takumi-kun was too absorbed with running the stall to notice her ulterior motive for chatting with him. On the other hand, Isami-kun was more perceptive of what were harmless conversation and what were masked ones. Ayame knew this from the way he was gawking at her in excitement. It looked like he wanted to be a part of what she was trying to do.

" _Fratello,_ you know what's another good date idea? Private cooking lessons"

"Hey! You can't use my weakness as an excuse for a date" Ayame groaned back.

" _What are they talking about! Did he say date?!"_

" _So it must be true!"_

The girls surrounding the stall continued to throw inane questions at each other and Ayame began to rock on the balls of her feet, loving the way their faces twisted into fear and misery.

"I don't mind… actually, I really quite like that" Takumi-kun wiped down his now empty pan that was once cooking _risotto_ so that he could start a new batch. Quick as flash, he sent her a look she knew all too well, one which was usually seen when he was getting cocky about something.

Ayame almost tripped over her own ankles. Did he… Did Takumi-kun just smirk at her? Suddenly he started to approach where she stood. Ayame blinked a few times and immediately, his lips were right by her ear. She could smell the _risotto_ all over him and his distinct natural scent of cedar. The gulped nervously from their sheer proximity.

"I know what you're trying to do _mio caro_. I can split my attention very easily" he whispered hotly. Ayame gulped again as he reached his hands behind her and Ayame sucked in a breath, not knowing what to anticipate as his lips slowly dipped to just below her ears. Just like that, he was back at the stove and she was staring at his back.

The blonde Aldini had grabbed a bag of _aborio_ rice from behind her. She got excited for nothing.

"Shall we make it my place this time?" Takumi-kun threw her a fleeting smoulder as he swiftly ripped open the bag with his teeth. The girls at the front of the stall swooned, from a combination of their inevitable realisation that their Prince was in fact off the market and that he was being naturally sexy.

Ayame blushed brightly and rubbed her arms up and down. Her burst of confidence blew out and all that was left was a somewhat embarrassed feeling. She thought she had the upper hand in all this, but it looked like Takumi-kun had made himself part of the game without her even knowing. She was going to be a shitty engineer if she didn't think ahead to the possibility that her boyfriend was going to catch on. He was an accomplished chef for goodness sake. Attention to minute details was part of the job description.

' _That suave Italian…'_

"Oh my god! You have no idea what I had just been through"

"Chizuru-chan?"

The frazzled head of her best friend popped out the front from between two squealing girls. She was huffing and puffing with an agitated look on her face. She wrinkled her nose from being in the middle of a sea of girls, all dedicated to the Aldini twins.

"I was practically stalked by that creepy chick from the Korean food asylum and who did I bump into? Hayama-san. Thankfully he threw some garlic at her and then she crawled back to whatever hole she was born in. I shook him off after he tried to get me to eat some wonder-curry because I wasn't in the mood for it. I need some _gelato._ NOW"

A bowl of _risotto_ was plopped into Ayame's hand thanks to Takumi-kun. Ayame deduced that he wanted to make her a fresh batch rather than feed her the one he was making before. Isami-kun hastely gave Chizuru-chan, her lemon _gelato crepe_ once it was finished along with other _gelato crepes_. She thanked him wholeheartedly and gobbled it all down. She tried to pay him but Isami-kun assured her that Ayame had already done so, so she stuffed her credit ticket back into her wallet.

"See I told you you'll like this festival" Ayame smiled at her best friend.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Ayame-chan. Thanks Isami-san. You boys take care of her. I'm going to jet and check out other places. Your all-female cheer squad is making me feel nasty" Ayame frowned at Chizuru-chan's sudden display of crudeness. Perhaps she really underestimated her great dislike for the food festival. Chizuru-chan threw them a wave and Isami-kun waved ecstatically back whilst Takumi-kun was about to give her the one-finger salute, but Ayame yanked his hand down just in case her best friend saw it. Takumi-kun continued to cook his _risotto_ and Isami-kun went back to checking the summer vegetable muffins in the portable oven.

"Ayame?" asked Takumi-kun cautiously.

"Yes?"

"About Namikaze-san. She looks like she absolutely hates the festival. Are you sure it was a good idea taking her?" he asked. He gestured for her to sit on a large upturned crate to eat her small bowl of _risotto_ behind the stall.

"Oh don't mind her. She's just miffed that her League of Legends team lost a game quite recently" she said. The _risotto_ was nice and sticky in her mouth. Takumi-kun once told her that _risotto_ dry out really easily so it was best eaten straight away. The flavours got her really excited for Autumn.

"It's not just that. Her _behaviour_. It's quite… unusual" he continued.

"You can use a stronger word than that, Takumi-kun" she chuckled.

Takumi-kun lowered the heat for his pan and turned towards her.

"The first time we went out as a group, she ordered a sea-salt and custard flavoured ice-cream combination at _Meshina_ which was highly unusual. She showed barely to no visible reactions to eating Mito-san and Hayama's _shokugeki_ dishes on the day you guys visited Tootsuki and was unable to answer his questions. When helping me move mine and my brother's things into our apartment, she wasn't covering her nose and mouth like the rest of us upon entry. You said she only eats spicy food and yet she pigs out on all sorts of junk food. She looks like she wishes to be elsewhere right now and lastly. She reeks of Sadatsuka's food. She must have eaten it for _Cristo_ knows what reason and is unaffected by it.

"What are you trying to get at?" asked Ayame.

He sighed. "Is there something important I should know about her?"

Ayame placed her spoon into her half empty bowl. She tilted her head to the side and chewed her lower lip in thought. Takumi-kun reached out and brushed his thumb across her mouth, instantly stopping her habit.

"If you decide to tell your brother what I'm about to say. The two of you must promise you'll keep it to yourselves"

"Cross our hearts"

* * *

Chizuru was bombarded by a large array of lights from all sides. Bright red, bright blue and bright green flashed all around it was starting to give her a bit of a headache. Not only that, the noise was full of sounds of people eating. Crunching, slurping, munching and gulping. Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves. She couldn't quite see what they were eating, as most were halfway to being finished. She threw the wet _gelato crepe_ wrapping into the nearest overflowing rubbish can. There were so many people. Wearing shorts and a t-shirt wasn't cool enough to keep herself from being cooked in the squelching heat of combined body temperatures.

Luckily, the _gelato crepe_ was cool and refreshing, perfect for a summer's evening.

Ayame looked nice and cosy with _Mario_ and _Luigi_ so it was ok to just leave her there. If Chizuru was going to be stuck in a place which equated itself to a _shogi_ tournament at a nursing home, then the least she could do was just look around to see what other entertainment they had. Surely, it couldn't just be all about food? They should have a music stage somewhere. She suddenly remembered that the guide mentioned some music entertainment, but god damn! Where was it? Kuchiyose-kun said he was coming a bit later. She hoped he was able to get in. Maybe he wouldn't because security would probably think he looked like a dodgy motherfucker. Her imagination was running away with her now.

Soon the crowd started to thin out as she reached what she assumed was the Central Area. There were significantly less booths around and those booths had super-long lines, to the point that it wounded like hairpins. They must be really good. Not only did they sell artistic looking food, but they had some fancy cooking appliances like a wood oven for pizza or that oven for making _naan_ bread. Chizuru began to see there was a significant difference in quality and price between the booths of the Main Street and Central area from the piling stacks of those stupid credit tickets on the stall tables.

A great, big, hulking monstrosity caught her by surprise. It looked like the Chinese Imperial Palace spawned itself a clone.

' _The fuck? The Chinese Research Society Restaurant? Geez, did they need to poke people's eyes out to make a fucking point?'_

Towering columns lined the front supporting a huge oriental styled roof. It looked like it could fit about four standard sized restaurants in there. It looked really exclusive because there were rows of wooden lattices with one entrance and exit, which reminded her of the ancient Chinese opium dens from Chinese dramas. She could see heaps of red lanterns strewn around the gaudy entrance. A winding line of hungry people fidgeted impatiently waiting to get in and yet still more people were trying to queue up despite it being obvious that it will be a good forty minutes to be seated.

A squeal from the left made her jolt. She turned around to see what the hell was going on, only to find that a pack of small children was clamouring over each other for some weird dessert tower. It was coated in thick, shiny strands of toffee. It was tall pyramid and was further decorated with an assortment of tiny _macarons_. On top was a hulking massive star made from sugar.

It was nowhere near fucking Christmas.

She turned her head away and continued on her way to an area where there was less people.

"Hey! Over here! Over here!"

She just couldn't catch a break. She groaned and turned towards which bastard was calling to her. Wasn't her face apathetic enough to scream _'Leave me alone'_ to them? Apparently not. She needed to kick it up a notch and pretend to have food poisoning or something. She was very good at acting like she had good poisoning. Finally, she turned around, ready to pretend puking in front of them, but was caught dead in her tracks to find it a scarlet-haired chef waving her over. Where had she met him before… Oh right, during _Mario's_ brother's welcome home get-together. His name was Yukihira Souma. He was still waving her over like his life depended on it. Well, at least it was a familiar face that was _not_ Hayama and he was pretty chill to talk to anyway. So she headed towards him.

"I remember you, you're Namikaze Chizuru. Takumi's girlfriend's friend. Want to try some of my food?" said that red-head Yukihira as he beamed at her. She didn't know a lot about him, just that _Mario_ considered him to be his ultimate rival, or some other bromance. She didn't know how good he could be though. He looked like he could easily slip on a banana peel. With him, she felt she could really let her speech go without suffering anyprudish expressions on people's faces, or any similar repercussions.

"Well, I ain't here to fuck spiders" she replied.

"Haha, you could've fooled me" he replied just as easily.

Chizuru was about to rip open a fresh packet of colourful language when she spotted that mousy little chef behind him. What was her name again? Oh yes, it was Tadokoro Megumi. _Mario's_ friend from Polar Star Dormitory. Why wasn't she at the Polar Star _okonomiyaki_ and _monjayaki_ booth? She thought it was better to hold her tongue. Ayame had an in-built radar for those sorts of things. Anyway, she looked like she could collapse with a seizure if she heard at least one curse word.

"What have you got?" she asked, focusing back on Yukihira.

" _Bún bò Huế._ It's a Vietnamese Spicy Beef Vermicelli Soup. A regional special, this one is" Yukihira served her a small bowl. He garnished it with some sliced onions, some green herbs and those white sprout thingies she didn't know the name of and passed her a pair of wooden chopsticks. Chizuru handed to him her strawberry ticket and he tucked it into his apron. Now that she thought about it, why the hell would someone run their tiny booth in front of a massive one, which was eating up almost a hundred percent of their customers?! That was rule number one, page one, volume one of _'Boy's Wonder-Book of How to Own a Fucking a Shop'_. Chizuru shook her head and decided to concentrate on her steaming bowl of _Bún bò Huế._ She bowed her head and looked into it. It was a beige-yellowy sort of soup with splattering of reds which she knew by heart was some sort of chilli oil. She swirled her wooden chopsticks around it and found the noodles to be rather thicker and more slippery than what she was used to. The name indicated it was spicy and that pretty much all that mattered right now.

She sighed and sat down at the small bench Yukihira was gesturing to her. She decided to not fight it and just eat the damn thing before he shoved it down her throat. Chizuru lifted up some of the thick vermicelli noodles, brought it up to her lips and slowly ate it. Next, she spooned some of the soup and drank it. Finally, she bit into a thin slice of perfectly cooked medallion shaped meat.

"Well?" he asked eagerly.

"Spicy. It was good"

"How does it taste?" he asked again.

Chizuru rolled her eyes. "Spicy. It was good". Was he expecting a different answer just because he asked the same questions, only phrased differently?

Yukihira narrowed his honey gold eyes and brought his finger up to his chin in a thinking pose. He looked her over for a good minute and Chizuru was seriously contemplating just dumping the bowl of his noodle soup over his head for being impertinent.

"Hey Megumi! Could you run up to Kuga and get me a serving of his _dandanmian_?" He yelled to the girl manning the stall.

"Eh? But I can't. The line at his restaurant is insanely long!" she yelled back.

"Just run up the front, he'll let you in. In fact, he's going to want to come and see this" said Yukihira and gave her a thumbs-up.

' _What the fuck is he on about?'_ Chizuru narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Tadokoro finally conceded and grabbed some credit tickets on the table and ran up the stairs to the Chinese Research Society Restaurant, which she found looked incredibly uglier the more she looked at it. Chizuru had heard of _dandanmian_ before. It was some sort of spicy noodles from the Sichuan province of China. No wonder, it was a Chinese Research Society Restaurant Tadokoro was running off to after all. She looked like the type of person to listen to anyone's request with no questions asked. Chizuru slowly ate her bowl of noodles and tried to ignore Yukihira as he yabbered on about his newfound rivalry with some guy named Kuga. _Mario_ was going to be jealous if he found out. Apparently this dude he was talking about was the leader of this Chinese Cuisine Research Society. Soon the mousy girl Tadokoro came back sporting a bowl of noodles as she tried very hard not to trip on the perfectly smooth ground. Tailing her was a punk-ass looking midget about the same size as herself, cackling away like a lunatic. He must be Terunori Kuga.

"What's this Yukihira-chin? You couldn't resist my food and you had no choice but to squander away what pathetic time you have left to taste it's godliness?" the midget threw his head up and chortled heartlessly.

Chizuru snorted. Oh. Now she got why the Chinese Research Society Restaurant was so fucking big. Compensating much?

"Actually Kuga. This is for her" Yukihira waved his hands over to Chizuru. "Namikaze-san, this is Terunori Kuga. Kuga, this is Namikaze Chizuru"

Chizuru nodded slowly. This was getting fucking weird.

"Really Yukihira-chin? You're going to ask her to judge our food in front of us, when it's clear who the winner's gonna be?" the boy named Kuga crossed his arms and sneered at Yukihira. But the red-head didn't look bothered at all.

"Go for it Namikaze-san. Have a taste" he pressed his face eagerly into hers.

"Fine" she said behind gritted teeth. The quicker she ate their dishes, the faster she could get the hell out of there and go home.

She slurped up the _dandanmian_ with ease, being very much accustomed to spicy food.

"I'm going to ask you a very important question and you have to answer truthfully" said Yukihira in a more serious tone.

Terunori Kuga and Tadokoro watched on with confusion.

"Fine. Get it over with" Chizuru sighed.

"What was the difference in taste between our dishes?"

Wh-What?"

"What was the difference in taste between our dishes?" he repeated himself.

"What the hell is going on Yukihira-chin? I got a restaurant to run, so if you could make this snappy?" Terunori Kuga huffed impatiently.

Chizuru felt her frustration build and was short of bursting. She had enough of their charade. "Fuck this! I'm out of here"

"You shouldn't have a problem answering my question right? Unless it actually _is_ a problem" said Yukihira.

 _She froze._

"You know Namikaze-san, I watch all my potential customers very carefully. That includes _you_. What's really weird about you is that from the moment I laid eyes on you, you weren't at all interested by any of the food you see. You're surrounded by great company and great, delicious food that anyone would die to have. However, you didn't, how should I say _'follow your nose'_. You didn't sniff the air. If I'm right, you haven't salivated at all once you got here. If anything, you only paid attention to food that was visually appealing, lights and loud customers".

Chizuru felt her breathing grow deeper and she clenched her fists.

"The reason why you couldn't answer my question was because you _don't taste it_. Am I right?"

Yukihira had a completely neutral expression on his face. He had his arms braced on the bench in front of her. His eyes pierced her own and it infuriated her beyond belief. Both Terunori Kuga and Tadokoro opened and closed their mouth like a couple of stunned fish, unable to understand what Yukihira was talking about. However, Chizuru knew _exactly_ what he was talking about.

"You're wrong"

Yukihira blinked up in surprise, his mouth forming an 'O' shape as if he wasn't used to being wrong when it came to the matters of food.

"It's not that I _don't_ taste it. It's that I _can't_ taste".

* * *

"C-Can you repeat that again?" Takumi spluttered.

"Chizuru-chan was born with congenital anosmia" said Ayame.

* * *

"In other words, I was born without the ability to _smell,_ therefore I can't _taste_ " said Chizuru.

* * *

 **Ohhh kayy. For the record, that was an extremely loose and incomplete definition for congenital anosmia. I will, or rather my OCs will explain what congenital anosmia really is. I based this on one of my patients.** **This is the first time we're seeing from Chizuru's perspective. I found it interesting to write.**

 **Ayame is showing her sadistic side. Something different this time! But I think it's rare of her to be this way. Who would've thought Ayame would be a jealous type haha.**

 **Oh boy, I wonder where Kuchiyose is? I hope he isn't too lost...**

 **I hope you like this chapter. Let me know what you think! See you in 5 days' time!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	14. Chizuru's Secret

_Chapter 14 – Chizuru's Secret_

* * *

"So… you… umm… _what?"_ The punk-ass looking midget chef, who followed Tadokoro-san pressed words out in an unsuccessful attempt to formulate a cohesive sentence. His brown, slanted eyes twitched like it was the weirdest thing he heard. It probably was.

Chizuru sat and observed the morphing faces of the three chefs standing around her. She was used to people taking their sweet time trying to grasp the concept of being born without something, and still living. She internally rolled her eyes. Surely they've heard of people who were born blind, deaf or both? Congenital anosmia was fundamentally the same, just extremely rare.

"So you you're born without a sense of smell. But that doesn't strip out _all_ of your sense of taste, right?" said Yukihira.

He kept a stern face. He crossed his arms across his broad torso and leaned forward. There was a keenness in his eyes that Chizuru wasn't familiar with, as if he was analysing her inside and out and it made her feel on edge. Did he want to figure her out? She already told him one of her best kept secrets. One she was sure she would've taken to the grave and leaving only her two best friends, her family and doctor to know the truth.

 _But why did she reveal it to a bunch of chefs of ALL people?_

' _To prove myself right…'_

"Yep, that's correct. _Taste_ by the true definition is _gustatory perception._ What I mean by gustatory perceptions are sweet, salty, sour, bitter and _umami_. Those sensations are only sensed by the taste buds".

"I-I see…" Tadokoro-san piped up.

Tadokoro-san shuffled over to sit beside Yukihira on the other side of the bench. She'd almost forgotten the mousy girl was still there. She was too damn quiet. Probably because Chizuru gave off a bit of a hostile aura when she often didn't mean to. It wouldn't be the first time. The blue-haired chef folded her arms politely on the table and looked on at Chizuru. Every now and again, she would avert her gaze to an inconspicuous spot on the bench as to not stare impolitely. Chizuru didn't know if they understood enough about the neurological side behind the human _taste_ experience to understand her condition.

"When you guys talk about _taste_ in food, _what you actually mean is flavour._ Don't ask me why, but for some reason people use the wrong word to describe what they actually mean _._ I can't sense flavour _at all._ Like, to me, an apple and a pear tastes exactly the same. _Sweet._ There's no 'appley-ness' or 'pearly-ness' when I put it in my mouth that can help me distinguish it's difference except for how it looks and its textures. _Flavour_ is seventy percent aroma and thirty percent _gustatory perception._ Anyway, _taste_ by your definition, is a combination of flavour and gustatory perception. Let's go with that for now. So half of the sensation will give _less than half_ of the actual flavour quality. Therefore people with anosmia will sense less than half of what normal people will taste" she pointed at them.

"Why less than half?" asked Tadokoro-san

"Because smell is ten thousand times more powerful than gustatory perception and I said that aroma was seventy percent of the whole _taste_ experience" said Chizuru with ease as she continued to eat the unfinished bowl of _dandanmian_ in front of her.

"Oh man! This is so fascinating! I've never met anyone like you before!" Yukihira relaxed his shoulders and took off the white strip of cloth from his forehead before tying it securely around one of his wrists. He flashed her a toothy smile and nestled back into his original position, looking ready to hear a bedtime story.

"You're the second person who's said that…" Chizuru smiled ruelly, dipping her head to gaze forlornly on the left over noodles of the _dandanmian_ dish.

A loud cackling erupted from beside their bench. Good god. She completely forgot about the punk-ass midget with the gaudy Chinese palace was still there. He clutched his belly and doubled over, shaking with viscous laughter. His facial muscles contracted completely as he wrestled to catch his breath between bouts of cackling. She hoped he died from laughter-suffocation. Chizuru was completely used to people like that back in elementary and middle school. People around that age were prone to taunt, prank, ostracised and abused people who were different. People like herself and Ayame-chan.

"Doesn't anyone here find this totally hilarious?! I mean, you're a person who can't smell or taste and yet here you are at a food festival! That's crazy ironic. Besides, how do you freaking live if you can't taste what you eat?!" Terunori wiped a stray tear from his eyes as he made a show of gathering himself.

"T-Terunori-san…" Tadokoro-san squeaked.

Chizuru placed her wooden chopsticks carefully over the rim of the bowl. Yes. She was very much accustomed to people like that, but it never stopped the furious bile from rising to her throat. Chizuru had fought back against those people many times in her life, but not for her sake. Never for her sake. Because she wasn't the only person in the world with this sort of problem. A problem that she was born with, and just had to live with like every other person. For a long time she hadn't fought back, and was cold and apathetic to every nasty comment that came her way. Until one day, she realised something while she was in hospital at the age of thirteen. She could've chosen to fight back or remain holding her head up high and ignore the taunts and teasing until the bullies got bored. That was her parent's suggestion. _Show them that they couldn't hurt her_. But she chose to fight back. Why? Because she _could_ while there were others in worse cases, who were weaker than she was who _couldn't_. She had to set an example. Ignoring wasn't going to help anyone or anything, but rather bury the anguish and hurt inside.

She needed to show people views like that _should be challenged_.

"Because I still need to eat to survive, you fuckwit" she seethed at him.

Memories sprang forth and made her vision bleed red. She calmed her breath. Everyone took what she lacked for granted. They all thought smelling was something trivial, A non-essential ability that couldn't really affect one's life that much. _They were wrong._ As the saying went: One couldn't miss what one never had. That's right, she didn't miss it, _she_ _had_ wanted _it_. Wanted _to be normal._ She missed the normality she felt before people found out. He thought not being able to smell was _hilarious?_

ONE. Would he find being regularly monitored for passive smoking because of a non-existent aversion reflex from the smell of cigarette smoke, which she couldn't tell, _humourous?_

TWO. Would he find attending an insane number of dietitian appointments to make sure she had the correct sugar, salt and cholesterol levels in her body, because she couldn't be trusted to judge what she ate, _laughable?_

THREE. Would he find being unable to detect the smell of dangerous chemicals and landing in hospital, waking up with a respirator over her face, _funny?_

FOUR. Would he find accidentally eating spoiled food as a cruel prank, and landing in hospital again with E. Coli, _amusing?_

FIVE. Would he find being completely confused and thought stupid when not understanding others chatting about how the amazing smell of freshly baked bread reminded them of a holiday to Europe _comical?_

SIX. Would he find spending an entire childhood with no concept of smell, but pretending she could smell anyway to not appear different by watching other children, _entertaining?_

SEVEN. Would he find being raised by parents who no longer put effort in their home-cooked meals and assumed soggy, plain and disappointing oatmeal was satisfactory enough just because they thought she couldn't taste anyway, _a joke?_

EIGHT. Would he find almost burning down the house in an effort to cook breakfast because of not being able to smell food burning and smoke, _hysterical?_

NINE. Would he find not knowing if clothing was already washed or not, and wearing it hoping it was so others don't loudly complained that she _'smelled'_ dirty, _knee-slapping?_

Those nine memories cut deep. Chizuru chose not to reveal all those experiences to scum like him. He did not have the privilege of knowing her.

"Hey, do you make fun of blind or deaf people like that too? It's pretty low of you to ridicule others who are born with any type of sensory impairment. Would you say the same for a blind person? What about someone who was deaf or paralysed from the neck down? Does it look like we _chose_ to be this way?" she smirked at him.

"Haha.. uh what? I-It's not like th-that" realisation dawned on Terunori's face. He had made a grievous error going against someone like her. Revenge was tasted hearty and fatty. Yukihira and Tadokoro-san also had appalled expressions on their faces, like they couldn't believe he would do something like that.

' _And that's how you turn the table'_

"Geez, from one human to another, I must say, I didn't peg you for a cold-hearted bastard who didn't think twice to lampooning someone like me without understanding my circumstances" she sighed exaggeratedly and pushed herself up from her seat ready to leave them all behind.

"Oi! I'm sorry, ok?! I didn't mean it like that! H-Honest!" Terunori frantically waved his hands around and his chubby midget face was aflame, the colour of the hottest chilli from utter disgrace and embarrassment. He threw himself into a bow to desperately express his apology in front of her. How easy it was for _them_ to seek forgiveness when the bullying was reversed. The brat had some shame after all in the cavity that was supposed to house his heart.

Chizuru leveled him with a cold hard stare as Yukihira and Tadokoro-san watched on.

"I j-just don't get it… why would you come here, if you knew you wouldn't enjoy it?" Terunori cautiously lifted himself from his perfectly perpendicular bow.

"My friend wanted me to come along. Simple as that" Chizuru crossed her arms under her breast and as she huffed to the side.

"I've got a question!" Yukihira sprang up from the side. God damnit! These people have some super-power to disappear and reappear into her vision like a clumsy bird flying into a window.

"You could taste spiciness and it isn't a part of the gustatory perception like sweet, sour, bitter, salty and _umami_. Why is that?" asked Yukihira excitedly.

"I'll need to get into more detail about the nerves in our body. You sure you want to hear it?" she asked.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't" smirked Yukihira.

He appraised her again with the same look that said he was studying her. He looked the type who wanted to learn anything and everything about the world of cooking. Just from the fact that his stall was in a really poor location, showed some amazing guts and that he knew the way to learn things was to really put oneself in the deep-end and test their strengths and grow. Or maybe he was just an idiot.

"Just sit your butt down. You look like a shot deer" Chizuru snapped at Terunori. He had the most pathetic and guilt ridden expression on his face, despite his attempt to mask it. He obeyed her and sat next to Tadokoro-san. This certainly was an odd sight. An ecstatic red-headed chef beside a nervous and fumbling girl, and a punk ass midget chef who just got bitch-slapped. She'll have to tell Ayame-chan this one day.

"There are twelve types of nerves in our body which allows us to _feel_ or sense things like touching, hearing, smelling, tasting and balance, and to voluntarily move our muscles like walking, and involuntarily move like breathing whilst sleeping. They all come from the brain and we call them _cranial nerves_. Are you with me so far?"

They nodded.

"Ok. Congenital anosmia is super-rare, almost no one has ever heard of it and most doctors don't really know it. I was born without the nerves to _smell_ which is called the _olfactory nerve_ " She tapped her nose. "However, all my other nerves associated with sensing food are fine and dandy, nothing wrong with them. Which is why I can still taste sweet, sour, salty, bitter, _umami_ which are sensed through the _facial nerve_ and the _hypoglossal nerve_ " she said. Chizuru gestured to her face, the inside of her cheek and her tongue, demonstrating where those nerves were. They paused for a bit and then nodded their heads for her to keep going.

"So about spiciness? It's sensed through something different. Spiciness, alcohol, minty stuff or menthol and ammonia, which are pungent, are sensed by the _trigeminal nerve_. I can't _smell_ it, I can't _taste_ it, but I can _feel_ it, which is something at least" she traced against her jaw, showing them where parts of the _trigeminal nerve_ was roughly located.

Chizuru waited patiently. Yukihira, Tadokoro-san and Terunori seemed to be in deep thought. She felt somewhat lighter after explaining it to them, like the releasing a tap slowly and letting the water flow smoothly down the sink. She had to admit, it was easier than she thought it would be.

"Ah I see, that does make sense. Each nerve is responsible for a different type of perception. Our sensations in eating is very complex, given by a combination of nerves that work together to give us the full experience. There is more than just _taste_ and _smell_ that make up the whole picture. _Pungency_ is also important for specific types of food and have a different nerve all together. If one nerve is defective, others are relied on by the person" said Tadokoro-san.

Chizuru suddenly remembered the tan skinned spice master she had met during her visit to Tootsuki. He was all about the sense of smell and talked about it as if _aroma_ was a cuisine in itself. She had a bad feeling about him and decided that the two of them weren't going to get along well, and he probably should be avoided. They wouldn't understand each other in the slightest. That was why she had escaped from him after accidentally ending up in front of his curry stall after Ayame-chan ditched her for _Mario_. As soon as he tried to get her to taste one of his curry she ran for it.

"What makes food… _nice …_ for you when you eat?" said Yukihira.

"Umm… spiciness, because it allows me to feel something funky when eating... Uh, I eat for colour. I like food that has pretty colours and are aesthetically pleasing… I like crunchy food, and cold stuff. I eat for texture and temperature as well" Chizuru slowly lowered herself back on her seat, facing the three chefs like a Q&A panel.

"I could imagine there may be some advantages to having anosmia" smiled Yukihira. "Like you can't smell people's farts and body odour, especially on public transport because it's totally gross. You won't get nauseous by smell too, am I right?"

"Yeah… that's right" said Chizuru slowly. "In saying all this, my gustatory perception is heightened so I'm a bit sensitive to some food that I find overly sweet, overly sour and stuff, because I don't have a sense of smell to drown it out. I like to drink hot milk sometimes because it's hot and creamy, but I can't tell if I've burnt the milk because I can't taste it. I do have to wait for hot food to cool down a bit longer because I'm also a bit sensitive to temperature"

Chizuru felt a bit embarrassed, telling a bunch of strangers, who specialised in areas she physiologically lacked, so much about herself. At the same time it felt refreshing. All those years, she had been seething, snarling, barking and biting people who dared say something against her just because she was born different. Somehow, meeting these people like _Mario_ and _Luigi_ , Yukihira and Tadokoro-san was not as regretful as she had thought.

"So what's it like…"

"Huh?" that voice was too quiet to hear over the noise of the festival.

"So what is it like? For you"

It was Terunori Kuga. His eyes darted to look elsewhere and his arms were folded behind his head, trying to be cool and maintain his dignity. He still had a thick blush adorning his cheeks, but his lips were pursed. Chizuru hadn't noticed before, but he didn't appear that short when he was sitting down. Maybe a few centimetres off of Yukihira, but it wasn't that much. His face had so much baby fat that Chizuru could have mistaken him as a middle schooler if he was on the street. He wore a traditional _tangzhuang_ reminiscent of those characters in Chinese dramas her mum sometimes watched. His hair was wildly styled. He had spiky dark brown hair which ran down to his nape and it jutted in every direction. His fringe, which reached down to his cheeks, were dyed blonde. He also had tresses tucked behind his left ear and were embellished with two bobby pins, fastened in a "Z" pattern. If she looked closely, she could spy a stud earring on his right ear.

He actually didn't look half bad for a big-mouth midget.

"Well, if I compare it to something we're all familiar with… Well, when you guys eat, it's like seeing a rainbow that is full of colours. When I eat, it's like seeing a black and white rainbow." said Chizuru, tapping her finger on her chin. That sounded about close to what she thought.

She thought about it herself. She certainly painted her life like a dismal portrait, but it was the truth. To her food was black and white, grayscale, only light and dark. Others could taste a variety of things and talked about as if it were out of this world, like a rainbow.

"That's kinda sad. But I learnt a lot of cool things from you. I just have to put it out there, though. I noticed that you say things like _'You people', 'People like me', 'them'_ a lot. But we are all the same, despite our differences, Namikaze-san" said Yukihira, smiling widely.

"Yeah… I suppose"

"Yukihira! There you are!"

* * *

Ayame underestimated the insane speed in which Takumi-kun bolted when his mind was set solely upon Yukihira-kun. She huffed and puffed to try and match her boyfriend's pace as he left her in the dust. She lagged behind with Isami-kun. The Aldini twins had completely used up all their ingredients and had reached their second tin full of credit tickets. Ayame couldn't have been prouder but she did wish there was a balance between female and male customers coming to their stall. It wasn't that she wanted Takumi-kun and Isami-kun to have less customers, that wasn't the point of her trying to mess with the fangirls' mind. She had to make them _know_ _where they stood_. Truthfully, she shouldn't have felt the need to manipulate the fangirls' mind to form their own conclusions that she and Takumi-kun were dating. She did anyway.

Over the crowd's head she spotted a humungous and gleaming Chinese Palace within the heart of the Central Area. The Central Area overall was a nifty looking location, it wasn't as marketplace-looking as the Main Street area, but it did look like it would cost more than just a melon ticket to purchase their food. The Chinese Palace rose up into the sky majestically, dominating the view of the Central Area. She could practically taste the oriental flavours of the _'Main Continent',_ in archaic Japanese terminology, from just looking at it. Finally Ayame could see Takumi-kun skidding to a stop by a small and plain looking stall. She needed to have a word with him later.

Was that Chizuru-chan?

"Yukihira! There you are!" yelled Takumi-kun, jabbing his finger at him "Ah, Namikaze-san, Tadokoro-san. You're here too"

"Eh? Ayame-chan! What are you doing here?" asked Chizuru-chan, completely ignoring the Aldini brothers.

She stumbled up from her seat at the bench. Sharing the bench was also Yukihira-kun, Tadokoro-san and another chef she hadn't met before. All four of them looked like they were in the middle of some serious discussion. Ayame gave her a smile and a warm hug. A wave of guilt washed over her as she remembered Chizuru-chan was having a miserable time at the Summer Solstice Festival, but she was glad to see she wasn't all alone and was actually hanging out with some of Takumi-kun's friends.

"Hey… thanks for taking me here… They uh… th-they _know about it now_ …"

 _Hmmm? Did she tell them about her condition?_

Ayame leaned back to read her best friend's expression. She had an incredibly sour look. Yep, she did. She twisted her arms behind her back, grasping at the elbows and scuffed her shoes against the dirt. Her eyes were turned to the side, not really focusing on anything in particular and her brows were furrowed deeply. This was the familiar behaviour Chizuru-chan exhibited when she thought she was proven wrong about something. Ayame was glad to see her in this way, because it was a good thing.

"Now you see why I really wanted you to come?" Ayame smiled serenely at her friend.

She nodded.

Chizuru-chan was nihilistic by nature, simply from the way she had been treated all her life. Chizuru-chan knew she was very different from other kids at a very young age and being different meant one was alienated. She had grown up see the world was against her. That was why she convinced herself that every utterance had a double meaning and that pessimism outweighed optimism. Hence her habit to _'read the subtext'._ Ayame wanted to prove her wrong. She wanted to prove that the world and everything on it wasn't her enemy or out to get her in some shape or form. Everyone had bullies in their life, which was pretty normal. It's having hope that there were genuinely good people still out there that kept one strong. Chizuru-chan's strength was born from hatred and fighting. Ayame's strength came from belief in goodness. She knew that the people Takumi-kun associated with, should actually be the most understanding people in the world for people like Chizuru-chan. They must know the key role smell played in food and experiences of eating, and therefore, understand her plight on a level that other typically developing people wouldn't be able to grasp. Not only that, Chizuru-chan's eating experience could open up a window for Takumi-kun and his other chef-friends to get insight into the other side of the culinary looking glass.

 _We learn a lot about things, not from the way it works perfectly, but from what happens when they are broken. New understandings, are thus born. That is how humanity progresses._

At least she hoped that her theory was correct. It could have gone the other way and that Takumi-kun and his friends wouldn't be able to understand the concept of someone not being able to smell or taste, as their world inexplicably revolved around those two senses.

She was willing to gamble it.

"Oh! Takumi! Isami! How'd your stall go on the Main street area?" Yukihira-kun got up and waved to herself, Takumi-kun and Isami-kun.

"A resounding success. But it looks like I can't say the same for you. It seems like you only made peanuts compared to Isami and I, you've been slacking?" he smirked, looking over Yukihira's stall.

Was that Tadokoro-san?

Ayame left the Aldini twins, Yukihira-kun and Chizuru-chan and skipped up to her, enthusiastically greeting the familiar face. She hadn't seen Tadokoro-san for a while and greatly missed the sweet and kind blue-haired chef. Ayame dived head first into her story of visiting the Polar Star _okonomiyaki_ and _monjayaki_ stall but was disappointed to not see her there. However she explained that she did try some duck egg _okonomiyaki_ and it tasted gorgeous. Tadokoro-san lead her to the bench and told her that it was her dorm mate, Yoshino Yuuki's idea for it and pointed out that she was the owner of the Polar Star Dorms chicken that Ayame had petted on her visit around the Polar Star plantations.

"Oh! _Ano…_ This is Terunori Kuga-san" Tadokoro-san suddenly jumped in her seat, hastily introducing Ayame to the fourth unfamiliar chef who was still sitting on the bench.

"Hello, my name is Kanda Ayame" she smiled politely.

"What up!" he replied.

He gave a feral smile and his sharp, white canines poked out. He exuded a sociable and lively aura. There was an overly-confident and cheeky look in his eyes but their sharpness told her he was smarter and probably older than he looked. From the way she sensed Chizuru-chan shooting daggers at the back of her head, something was amiss. Her guts told her that they were aimed more at Terunori-san than her. Both of them must've got off on the wrong foot. She couldn't predict who started what first. Normally at school, Chizuru-chan was a sucker for provocation…

"Which stall is yours, Terunori-san?" she asked.

"You're looking at it! Right there!" He leapt on top of the bench and threw his hands towards the magnificent Chinese palace. "I'm the president of the Chinese Cuisine Research Society Club and also the eighth seat on the Elite Ten. A big deal, by the way". He puffed out his chest.

"I'm sure…" Ayame uttered a strained laugh at his loud and gleeful personality. She was stunned.

"Hey, that girl… is she your friend?" Terunori-san calmed down and pointed to Chizuru-chan who seemed to be stuck in a banter with Yukihira-kun and Takumi-kun whilst Isami-kun moderated from the side.

"Yeah, she's my friend" said Ayame curiously.

"I said something I shouldn't have… about her _anosmia_. I feel shitty about it" Terunori-san grumbled as he retook his seat and slouched back onto the bench. Ayame thought as much. "How long does it take for her to forgive someone?" he asked.

"Well, I can't give you a definite time-frame. She has a belief for an-eye-for-an-eye. Perhaps you could do something for her to show that you are sorry, and then she'll probably waver whatever you said to her" said Ayame.

"Like what?"

Ayame looked around the Central area, thinking. Her gaze was gravitated towards The Chinese Cuisine Research Society's stall. It looked more like a high class restaurant than anything else. There was a huge banner stretched across with their name in huge calligraphic script. Just underneath the main heading was the writing for _'Sichuan Cuisine'_.

"She likes spicy food. Maybe you should start from there" Ayame winked at him and Tadokoro-san nodded.

The two girls giggled as Terunori-san had the most confused expression. He got up from his seat and muttered his thanks while his rounded face bloomed into a blush. He casted a long look at Chizuru-chan in the distant and his blush intensified. Ayame and Tadokoro-san shared a knowing smile.

"Goodness, I almost forgot!" Tadokoro-san cried out from Ayame's side. She started running around the stall like a headless chicken, flapping her hands about with hysterical worry. "Souma-kun! We forgot to submit all our tickets to the tallying booth! They're about to announce the winner with the most sales!"

"Oh Crikey! It completely slipped my mind. Catch you later guys, Megumi and I gotta dash off and make sure the tallying booth doesn't close" Yukihira smacked Takumi-kun across the back earning a high pitched yelp before running off with Tadokoro-san with a rectangular tin similar to Takumi-kun's and Isami-kun's.

" _Dio mio._ Yukihira-kun is quite careless as always" Isami-kun sighed, rubbing Takumi-kun's back as his elder twin fought back stinging tears.

"Yoho~ How's everyone going?" came a sing-song voice.

"Ah Alice-san, Kurokiba-san" Ayame turned around in pleasant surprise.

Alice-san grinned like a Cheshire cat as she sauntered her way towards their little group. She looked absolutely glamourous as she was dressed in a red silk _yukata_ with pink _sakura_ blossoms. Its delicately embroidered pink and silver petals floated across her chest, drifting, drifting, drifting in a smooth winding motion and gathered at the bottom hem of her robe in light smooth piles at her ankles. Her _obi_ was the moon-silver and was also embroidered with light, dainty patterns. Alice's eyes glittered, the colours matching the vibrant scarlet hues of her eyes. Behind her was Kurokiba-san and he looked just as tired as the day she met him. Or maybe he always looked this tired because the eye-bags beneath his tired eyes neither looked worse nor better. He was dressed in a plain navy blue _yukata_.

"Alice-san, why are you dressed in a _yukata?"_ asked Takumi-kun. He and Isami-kun were still dressed in their orange trimmed Aldini chef's uniform. They even had some oil splatters on it. Ayame looked over at Takumi-kun and she could spot the butterfly pin that was securely fastened on his double breasted front. She smiled.

"Oh, I finished ages ago. I used up all my ingredients just like that!" She snapped her fingers. "So Ryou-kun and I thought we'd change out and enjoy the rest of the festival. Didn't we, Ryou-kun?"

" _Ous"_

Ayame went over and greeted Alice. She didn't miss the way her eyes drooped ever so slightly upon seeing her. She probably instantly reminded her of her traumatic experience when she came to visit the Cutting Edge Cooking clubroom. But Alice-san immediately sprang back to her upbeat and fun self as if nothing had happened.

"Good evening Ayame-san, Namikaze-san! Long time no see. I trust that you've been enjoying your evening?' Alice-san leaned forward and offered her a light hug around the shoulders with one arm as she was carrying a nice, silk traditional coin pouch in her other hand. She did the same with Chizuru-chan.

"Yep! I've been looking after Takumi-kun and Isami-kun. Had to make sure they weren't giving anything away for free" Ayame chuckled behind her hand, giving the Aldini brother's a side-long look.

"Who was looking after who?" Takumi-kun lifted a lone eye brow at her and pinched her side. Ayame yelped and punched him in the arm.

"If it wasn't for me, your broken electric stove would've stayed broken. Then your _risotto_ would've been all soggy or something. _Like my fish_. I should be checking over all your kitchen appliances" she huffed at him, crossing her arms and turning away, but still looking at him from her periphery. Takumi-kun bristled, a cute blush spread across his cheeks. He grumbled and suddenly hugged her from behind, burying his face in the back of her head, hiding himself away. Ayame could feel him groan in exhaustion into her hair and it was tickling her.

"I a-already thanked you enough haven't I…" his voice was muffled and had a hint of whining. Ayame froze up in shock as Alice-san gave her a very mischievous look and she wiggled her perfectly manicured silver eyebrows at her. It was then Ayame's go to turn beet red.

"Hey _Mario_ , could you like, not touch Ayame-chan like that? We're in a public place" Ayame could hear her best friend's scolding.

"Ah, not to worry Chizuru-san. _Fratello_ , does that because it is the sure-fire way for Ayame-san not to see how embarrassed his face is. By being directly in the ultimate blind spot.

" _Congratulations to all students who participated in Tootsuki's first Summer Solstice Festival! Also a huge thanks to our sponsors Igakono Senbei Corps and TopRamen Limited for funding this wonderful event. First up is the ranking for the Main Street area"_ The announcement rang out across the area.

"Shhhh! I'm in this category!" Alice-san floundered her hands around trying to get everyone to stop chatting. Chizuru-chan and Isami-kun ceased conversing and Ayame found herself holding her breath as well, resting against Takumi-kun's chest.

" _In third place is the Polar Star Dorm's Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki stall!"_

"Woohoo! Alright, Polar Star Dorms made it to first day rankings" Yukihira's voice boomed from the distance as he ran back to the group. Tadokoro-san closely followed and both were panting. Alice-san bounced towards him and gave him a crushing hug. The relieved expressions on their faces told her that they successfully submitted their tickets.

"Ah, hi Alice, Kurokiba" he pulled himself from Alice-san's tight hold and gave them a salute.

' _In second place is Trattoria Aldini!'_

" _FORZA ALDINI!"_

Ayame was ecstatic. She suddenly felt her feet leave the ground in a split second as Takumi-kun picked her up and twirled her in the air! His strong arms gripped her waist tightly against his body, letting his centre of gravity take them into a heavy spin. Then he set her back down in front of him, whilst he still held her waist securely. She was completely dizzy. He had the biggest smile and Ayame felt her heart reach out to him. Any accomplishment of his were her accomplishments too. She cupped his face and gave him a chaste kiss, taking him be delightful surprise and he kissed back, filled with unbridled triumph.

Once they broke apart, he went over and gave his brother a hi-five and a brotherly hug. Soon everyone scooted towards them offering them their sincerest congratulations. Including Chizuru-chan.

' _Lastly, first place is Nakiri Alice's Molecular Gastronomy Bar!'_

"Nothing less" She placed her hands on her hips and cocked it out to the side. Everyone clapped as Alice-san executed a perfect curtsy despite being in a _yukata_. She patted Kurokiba-san on the shoulder and he just sighed. However, she could see just a glint of pride in his eyes.

' _Next is the rankings for Central Area. Third place is Yukihira and Tadokoro Vietnamese Food Truck!'_

"Woohooo! Yeah! Great job Megumi!" cheered Yukihira.

Since the first announcement, Tadokoro-san had her hands firmly pressed together as if in an intensive prayer. Her eyes clenched and her knees shook as she muttered a mantra over and over. Yukihira went over to her and … _slapped…_ her hands! She broke out of her bubble and flapped her stinging red hands painfully blubbering all over the place as the red-headed chef grabbed her shoulder to still her.

"We came third place Megumi! We're in the rankings. So you can relax now" he said.

"Oh thank goodneeeessss~" she wheezed through her escaping tears.

' _Second place is The Chinese RS 'Kuga's Restaurant'!'_

Everyone immediately turned their gaze towards the entrance of the Chinese palace. Standing on the top of the steps was Terunori Kuga, his face was ashen and his small body was trembling. He fell to his knees and gripped his head as despair and anguish was clearly visible from all the way up the top of the stairs.

"A-Again?! How could this be…!" he roared.

"Karma, I tell you" Chizuru-chan smirked and Ayame tsked at her. Yep, there was definitely a row between them.

' _Finally in first place, is Kinokuni Nene's Tapas Bar and Grill!'_

" _Fuck!_ Nene, that bitch of a menstrual sixth seater!" Terunori-san continued to yell into the air as his subordinates, dressed like _shaolin_ monks tried to calm him down, but to no avail.

"Who's that?" asked Ayame, turning to the Aldini brothers.

"Kinokuni Nene is the current sixth seat, or sixth best, of the school. I don't really know her" said Takumi-kun, who now had his fingers laced with hers.

' _For the final announcement of the night. I once again thank all the students who participated and our sponsors. Now as a special treat, we'll be having a special performance at the main stage featuring… YOSHIOKA YUIICHI!'_

Something God-awful screamed into her ear.

"OH MY GOD! Yoshioka Yuiichi is here?! We have to go see him. He's like the best singer-song writer Japan has ever seen!" Chizuru-chan jumped up and down like a caffeinated guinea pig. She harshly yanked Ayame out from beside Takumi-kun and dashed off, dragging her in the direction of the main stage. Consequently Takumi-kun was pulled along too, who grabbed Isami-kun in the last second as well. It was like being pulled along with as a chain through an ocean of people.

The crowd quickly grew thicker and thicker and the lights glowed brighter and brighter as they made it towards the main stage. Shrieking teenagers occupied every square metre and almost all of them had their phone out, snapping selfies and the stage. The stage was large and had a plain white back drop and strong stage lights arched overhead. Tootsuki had put in a lot of effort for this. Soon the cheers and cries exploded as a tall figure emerged from the side of the stage, a handsome looking Fender acoustic strapped over the shoulders.

' _I don't remember Yoshioka Yuiichi being this tall… And if I remember correctly, he dyed his hair blonde only last week according to Chizuru-chan's magazine… Oh my gosh! He can't be!'_

 _She._

 _Was._

 _In._

 _So._

 _Much._

 _Trouble._

"HOLY FUCK! Is that Kuchiyose-kun?! Shit, I completely forgot about him! What the hell is he doing on stage?!" Chizuru-chan screamed from in front of Ayame.

Her stomach dropped. It was _definitely_ Kuchiyose-kun.

His hair was tied back in a pony man-bun leaving lots of loose strands of lilac locks framing his chiseled face, and his neck. He wore a simple, black v-neck t-shirt and a dark pair of jeans. He was also wearing the belt she and Chizuru-chan got for him last Christmas. Chizuru-chan fumbled for her smartphone and slammed her fingers on the screen to bring up her messages. She clapped her hand over her mouth as she stared in shock at all the missed calls and missed text messages sent by Kuchiyose-kun's phone. Ayame's knees shook. Oh no, no, no, no. How could she have been so forgetful! She felt instantly bad and she will never feel as bad as this. Ayame looked over Chizuru-chan's shoulder and scanned the missed texts. She started with the second text of the evening.

* * *

' _Hey. I changed my mind. I'm coming  
to the festival straight from the music shop  
instead of going home first.  
I'll let you know when I get there'  
\- KB_

* * *

' _I'm waiting by the front entrance now'  
\- KB_

* * *

' _I'm in. Should we meet up near the water fountain?'  
\- KB_

* * *

' _I've been at the water fountain for  
the past 20min. Where are you'  
\- KB_

* * *

' _My guitar and my new loop pedal are  
getting heavy to carry around. I need you  
to be my pack mule for a bit'  
-KB_

* * *

' _The food here is good. It would taste  
better if you picked up my calls.  
-KB_

* * *

' _Hey, some entertainment official  
has mistaken me for someone.  
Come to the main stage quickly.  
\- KB_

* * *

' _Now they won't let me leave the  
main stage area or listen to a word I say.  
They think I'm_ _a singer and going  
to hold a concert because I'm carrying  
around my guitar and loop pedal.  
I hold you, Namikaze Chizuru, responsible.  
\- KB_

* * *

Each text message was approximately twenty minutes to half an hour apart. Ayame quickly pulled out her phone too. Damn it! It had been on silent the whole time! Her phone was flooded with similar missed text messages from Kuchiyose-kun. Her stomach squeezed tightly. She felt incredibly guilty. She was the worst friend ever!

"Is that… Is that K-Kuchiyose-san?" gasped Takumi-kun in her ear behind her as he patted her on the shoulder.

"Yes… Yes it is…" She felt her soul abandon her.

She looked around and spotted Alice-san in the crowd near them, flanked by Kurokiba-kun. Her face was deathly pale and her eyes were wide, like a deer caught in head lights. They glistened with unshed tears. Oh no. Nakiri Alice, was rooted to the spot and her hands were clutched to her chest as she stared at Kuchiyose-kun on stage. Her ruby red eyes were haunted and Ayame sensed a messy jumble of sadness, grief, sorrow and regret swimming in their depths. She suddenly saw Alice-san in a different light. Right now, she wasn't the confident, cheeky and boisterous self she come to know her as. Instead, what stood there was a much more vulnerable, broken and insecure girl. A person who initiated a break up with someone shouldn't ordinarily be gazing at them in such a manner, unless…

' _Could it be… she's still in love with him?'_

The sound of thumping caught her attention and she refocused to the main stage. Kuchiyose-kun shuffled forward and plugged his acoustic into the speakers and then shifted his brand new loop pedal to the front. He had the most distraught looking face. At least, as distraught for a face like his to express. Also, his sullen eyes were definitely saying _'What the hell am I doing here…'_ He straightened his back and released a big sigh into the microphone after adjusting its height. By now, most of the crowd had caught on that he wasn't actually the famous singer-song writer Yoshioka Yuiichi, but they didn't really look like they minded all that much. He hesitantly strummed his guitar and its melody burst from the speakers. Ayame tried to look closer and she spotted something glistening on the tips of his fingers. That's right. Kuchiyose-kun style was finger playing. Somewhere within the time to spare between playing soccer and school life, Kuchiyose managed to teach himself finger-style guitar or finger picking. This involved plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or in Kuchiyose-kun's case, shiny metal picks attached to each of his long fingers. This style created crisp tones and clear melodies.

The lilac-haired giant sighed one last time and grimaced. He moved the microphone closer to himself. He languidly tapped onto his loop pedal and his fingers danced deftly across the strings at a fast pace. A strong tune instantly locked onto the audience and he rapped his finger picks against the strings between individual strumming, using it like a percussive instrument too, establishing a rhythmic beat. Such as the way of finger-styling.

He closed his eyes, and pressed his lips to the microphone.

 _"Doro darake yo najime nai tokai de  
Onaji you ni warae nai utsumuite aruita no  
Isogi ashi de surechigau hito tachi  
"Yume wa kanai mashita ka?"  
Atashi mada mogaite iru_

 _Kodomo no goro ni modoru yori mo  
Ima wo umaku ikite mitai yo  
Kowagari wa umare tsuki_

 _Hi no ataru basho ni dete  
Ryoute wo hirogete mita nara  
Ano sola koete yukeru ka na?  
Nante omottanda_

 _Tobitatsu tame no tsubasa  
Sore wa mada mie nai  
Kantan ni ika nai kara  
Ikite yukeru"_

The noise level steadily increased into a moderate cheer as they warmed up to Kuchiyose-kun. He went back to playing his acoustic with beautiful precision, moving away from the microphone. His guitar skills was really good! But he looked like he was starting to sweat on stage. Ayame was surprised that he sang in a higher voice, higher than she normally heard from him. Scratch that, she had never heard him sing before! Why hadn't she? Had she not pestered him hard enough? In any case, the song sounded familiar and it was probably a cover of another song. But his voice still retained a slight huskiness and sounded warm like honey which suited the country ballad. He pressed his lips to the microphone again.

 _"Nureta koinu hiroi ageta dakede  
Chotto warae chau hodo  
Namida ga koborete kita_

 _Aisaretai aisaretai bakari  
Atashi itte ita yo ne  
Motomeru dake ja dame ne_

 _Kodomo no goro wa mama no koto  
Hidoku kizutsuketa  
Hi mo atta yo ne kawari tai  
Ima zenbu_

 _Hi no ataru basho ni dete  
Kono te wo tsuyoku nigitte mitai  
Ano basho ano toki wo kowashite  
I can change my life_

 _Demo kokoro no naka subete wo  
Totemo tsutae kire nai  
Kantan ni ika nai kara  
Ikite yukeru_

 _Hi no ataru basho ni dete  
Chizu wo hirogete miru kedo  
I know, you know  
Mayoi michi mo shikata nai  
I can change my life_

 _Sugite kita hibi zenbu de  
Ima no atashi nanda yo  
Kantan ni ika nai kara  
Ikite yukeru..."_

The crowd erupted in a round of applause and female screams dominated the main moshpit. He ended the lyrics with a yearning tone to really complete it but continued to pluck the strings with such intensity, the tone coming out clear and crisp. he rapped his finger-picks against the strings a few more times before completely ending it. Kuchiyose-kun looked like he was ready to throw up and his face had gone white. It seemed playing in front of a live audience wasn't agreeing with him. He disconnected his acoustic from the speakers, removed his metal finger picks and packed up his loop pedal. His eyes remained stoic as his tall, hunching figure shuffled off stage, without so much as a backward glance at the audience.

Ayame was absolutely impressed! He was an amazing singer. She felt proud for her two boys tonight, no doubt about it. Maybe if she showered Kuchiyose-kun with compliments and praise, he might forgive her for forgetting about him tonight. Ayame looked around and saw the smiling faces of Takumi-kun, Isami-kun, Yukihira-kun, Tadokoro-san and Chizuru-chan. She found a cluster of students screaming the loudest, recognising them to be from the Polar Star _okonomyaki_ and _monjayaki_ stall. Even Terunori Kuga was nearby, standing on an upturned crate to see overhead. In the distance she also spotted Mito-san and Hayama-san, changed out of their chef's uniform and into their casual clothes.

Alice-san and Kurokiba-san were nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 **I first came across anosmia during my hospital placement. His brain injury severed the olfactory nerve (nerve for smelling). Smell is processed in the back of the brain, near the vision centre. The receptive end of the nerve is deep inside your nose, closer to the brain, about the level of your eyes. So the whole olfactory nerve runs along the length of the brain. Therefore any injury to the brain could potentially sever the nerve at any point along its length, thus acquiring anosmia secondary to brain injury. Being born with anosmia is real, but extremely rare.**

 **Did any of you guys remember Kuchiyose-kun? He'd been missing pretty much the whole time and we now know why... poor guy. He's too soft spoken and has stage fright hahahaha! If you did, good for you! If you didn't, don't feel bad, Ayame and Chizuru forgot too.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think. See you in 5 days' time.**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire- dono**


	15. Their Second Date, Chicken Goodness

_Chapter 15 – Their Second Date, Chicken Goodness_

* * *

This was the perfect day for a second date. Takumi considered it perfect because he and Ayame would start their first class of the semester in two days' time. It wasn't a typical date that he'd imagined where they'd go out to cafés for brunch, a park for a picnic or to the local cinema. It was comfortable and at home. Like a 'home-date'. He didn't know any other word to call it. It felt cosy, it felt private and it was the just the two of them. Plus, Isami was here. He wasn't joking when he thought Isami's suggestion for a cooking lesson as a date was a good idea. Of course, Ayame had to agree too and she did. They planned a cooking demo, a movie and dinner 'home-date'.

He wouldn't do anything without Ayame's approval. He was becoming a domesticated boyfriend…He could feel it…

The weather was dismal, so he supposed it was actually better to spend time indoors. The sky was full of glare. It was impossible to tell if it would rain or not because there was no sun and the sky was a sheet of never-ending whiteness. Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same for the Summer Solstice Festival. It was worse. For the remaining three days, everything went south and it _poured_. The crowd significantly dwindled, music entertainments were cancelled and most stalls couldn't continue and had to pack up very early, or skip for another day. Takumi, Isami, Yukihira, Polar Star Dorms, and everybody else worth mentioning refused to call it quits and actually put their heads together to create some shelter for the remaining festival goers who couldn't make it to the opening night where everything was perfect. They all agreed making more profits and winning in the rankings were no longer important to them. Making the most of the last few days of the food festival for the customers' sake rather than their own or the school's own was worth more.

Takumi finished preparing the kitchen island whilst Ayame pulled out the two whole chickens by the neck from the butcher they visited this morning and placed them in a large stainless steel bowl in the sink. She knew exactly what she wanted to cover in their cooking-date today and told him with extreme details as to why. That was typical Ayame, he loved it. She was adamant to learn the essentials like dressing meats, chicken in particular, because it was a staple meat in the Kanda household. Ayame had relatives in poultry farming in the Iburaki Prefacture. They always gifted her family with whole chickens on special occasions that were already dressed, or not yet dressed because apparently, Ayame's mother liked to dress the chicken herself.

"Are we ready to get started?" Takumi smirked, already in his Aldini apron.

"Yep!" Ayame pinned her hair back into a bun and clipped her fridge up too. She swiftly walked back to the sink. She was dressed in her own apron designed with little dancing robots. She looked really cute and Takumi had to turn up his concentration level a bit more if he was going to give her a really good demonstration in dressing the chicken.

"I'm completely in your hands now" Ayame smiled shyly at him.

' _Dio mio'_

Takumi wanted to double over and clutch his chest. Why did she have to say things like that! Their intimacy level was lukewarm and he was still trying to embrace his more amorous side. He wished he was so much better at handling innuendos or things that sounded like it. For his sake, he needed to get used to it fast because Ayame was started to make more of those comments, but he couldn't bring himself to figure out the best method for how. Only on some occasions where he was feeling brave enough, he would have a comeback he dared called 'saucy' and make her blush in return. Which he would always feel better because it evened out the playing field, and he loved to be the one to make her blush instead. Right now, his brother was in the house, even though he was napping, so there was no way he was stepping in that territory. The next best thing he did was cover his blushing face and turn away for a minute and listen to her taunting chuckles against his will. _He lost_.

"Come on now! Let's get started" he spun back around and pinched her cheek lightly, causing her to make abrupt squeaking sounds like a squeak toy.

"Ok! Ok!" she swatted his hands away and rubbed her reddening cheeks. Takumi didn't miss the way she tried to suppress her smile and her verdant eyes glittered with mirth. Takumi made a big act of clearing his throat with his fist poised in front of his mouth to show Ayame he meant business.

"Let's start rinsing the bird. We want to make sure to get rid any leftover pin-feathers" said Takumi.

The two of them took turns to thoroughly rub, pull and scrape the skin of the chicken with their hands. Ayame listened to his instructions intensely with such a studious and determined expression. She followed them perfectly. He was happy that she wasn't grossed out or wanted to change her mind. Dressing meat wasn't the most pleasant thing to do, but it was a must for all chefs.

"So when dressing the chicken, first step is to remove the feet" said Takumi.

Ayame took the chickens over to the two chopping boards set out on the kitchen island. She was grinning and looked rather excited to get down to the nitty-gritty side of cooking. Takumi flipped the yellow-skinned, corn-fed chicken onto its back and pulled it perpendicular to his body. Ayame did the same.

"Hold one foot and slice the joint gently. As you slice it, apply a downward force at the same time. You want to direct the blade down between the joint and through the tendons. Like this"

Takumi grasped the chicken's foot and pushed the foot down as he expertly cut into the joint. He felt the joint crack and the tendon cut away. He continued to saw the joint with his sharp knife gently, back and forth, until it came away easily. Ayame gulped and copied exactly as Takumi did, however he noticed that her arms were very tense and she was making ragged cuts.

"No, you don't need to force it too hard. Let me" he said. Ayame blushed and nodded. Takumi stepped behind her and placed his hands over both of hers. He gently guided her hand in slicing the joint, whilst his other showed her exactly how much force was needed to push down the leg before it was separated nicely.

"Ah thanks" she smiled. She twisted her head around and pecked him on the cheek, taking him by surprise.

"Ah-Ah!… Try again with the o-other leg!" Takumi released her hands and skittered back to his own chicken, finishing off the other foot, whilst Ayame slowly did the same and her technique was looking much better. Takumi took all four feet and placed them into a plastic bag and left it to the side. Isami had asked him to save the feet so that he could braise it in black bean sauce.

"Next is to remove the head. Some people just pull it off with their hands—"

"What! With their hands?!" Ayame shrieked.

Takumi cringed at the sudden high pitch voice. "Well yeah, it's a preference thing. I've done it before"

Ayame wasn't looking too good by this point, but she gathered herself and nodded enthusiastically. Yep, she was still game. Takumi flipped the bird the other way so that its head was facing the business end of his kitchen knife.

"Anyway, for you, slice the neck just under the head. When you hit bone, just keep going. As you start to disconnect the head, you'll find the oesophagus which is where the food goes down and the trachea which is the windpipe. Cut those too" said Takumi.

"Hey…" Ayame said nervously. "Can I… watch you pull off the head… with your hands…?" Takumi blanched. She _really_ wanted to see him actually rip off the head? He didn't see that one coming. She didn't break eye contact with his own and he was convinced she was serious, which was creepy. Honestly he was wondering if she was okay or had gone into experimental engineering mode. But if that was what she really wanted, then he will show her.

"Okay, you do your chicken first" he said.

Ayame removed the head as per his instructions, threw the head in the rubbish bag and she sighed in relief. "Okay your turn!" she said excitedly.

Takumi chuckled. He grabbed the head of his bird gently and cut into the meaty section of the neck to weaken the connection... then he just pulled the head right off. That was it. Ayame gawked. Takumi wasn't sure it was in 'disgust' or 'awe'. But either way, she didn't turn green and want to throw up. Takumi pushed on.

"This time, we need remove the crop. It's the hardest part of dressing chicken. The crop is a sac where food goes in before it reaches the stomach. It sits at the base of the neck, against the breast. Some farmers don't feed the chickens for twenty-four hours so the crop will be empty before butchering. Some do feed them, so the crop is full and is easier to find. Like this one, but it's half full" Takumi flipped the bird onto its back again and pressed his thumb onto the base of the neck, until a flaccid sphere bulged out, which was the crop.

"Ah okay" Ayame peered closer and examined it.

"But first, we need to remove the neck-skin to get to the crop. It takes a while, so we'll do it together" Takumi stretched out the neck for Ayame to see. He skilfully cut into the skin about half way up the neck. He pinched the skin with his thumb and fore-finger and lifted it off the flesh and slice a strip of skin just under where it was lifted, off, up to the end of the neck, connecting to the breast. Ayame did the same.

"Keep pinching the skin and fillet a section of the skin up to the neck. I'll show you how to fillet" Takumi demonstrated slowly and Ayame copied him the best as she could, her expression fierce as to make sure she did it correctly. Takumi noticed she was good at 'learning by watching' which was great. "By lifting the skin as I cut, I am keeping tension where the cutting is taking place. If I didn't do this, the skin won't cut very well, no matter how sharp the knife is" Takumi added at the end, showing her how he pinched the skin.

"Got it" Ayame smiled brightly at him.

Takumi continued. "See those two tubes? That's the oesophagus and the trachea. Just pull it away from the neck. Also, hold the skin at the back of the neck and pull it away too" Takumi showed her. It was easy to tell which ones were the oesophagus and the trachea. The trachea was ribbed and more rigid than the soft oesophagus.

"It's starting to actually look like the whole chicken you buy in the supermarket now" said Ayame. She smiling and enjoying herself, as Takumi hoped she would be.

" _Si,_ it is. Now we need to find the crop" Takumi pulled the skin at the front down further and inserted his fingers to wiggle the crop free so Ayame could see. "The crop will be tight to the bird's neck-skin and breast. It needs to be worked free. The crop is durable, but use a careful touch so you don't break it. If you do break the crop, you will have a bit of a mess. But it isn't a major crisis. It's just undigested feed" Takumi explained.

The blonde Italian placed his right hand between the oesophagus and the actual neck part. Then he grasped the crop that was slightly visible. He held the chicken carcass with his left hand and twisted it a couple of times as he slowly and steadily pulled the crop out with his right hand, directly out of the body cavity. Takumi could literally dress chicken with his eyes closed. He had done it countless of times until it was second nature, so slowing down for Ayame to follow was a bit tricky as he was used to doing it with tremendous speed. Ayame copied his movements and was really looking like she was enjoying it more.

"Okay, so the tube from the crop to the gizzards should disengage nicely. Just put the crop into the rubbish bag" said Takumi.

"I can't wait to actually gut the chicken now" Ayame sprang lightly on the balls of her feet. He had certainly scored the _best_ girlfriend. He didn't care what others said. His _bella_ butchering chicken was definitely cute.

"Now then, to remove the neck part. It's relatively easy. Begin by grasping the neck with one hand and use your other hand to pull the skin around the neck down" Takumi showed Ayame as she nodded in understanding. She repeated with her own chicken.

"What you're doing is getting access to the base of the neck, where you will make a cut. Slice into the meat of the neck. The cut should be almost between the bird's shoulder blades. The point is _not_ to cut through the neck. Instead, you want to simply push the blade into the meaty neck until you meet the bone" said Takumi. He repeated the process on other sides of the neck, a total of three times on different sides and Ayame followed suit. Takumi gripped the neck more securely and twisted it a couple of times until it came right off.

"There's a lot of neck skin still there so we just trim it" said Takumi, demonstrating how he trimmed the skin off with his kitchen knife.

"Takumi-kun, when did you first learn to dress chicken?" asked Ayame, as she trimmed the skin a bit messily after disconnecting the neck.

"Hmm, about six years old"

"That's so young!" she gasped.

"Yeah, but we practically lived in the kitchens and Isami and I were already good with a knife, so _Pappa_ taught us anyway" he said, happily reminiscing.

"Well, your dad knew talent when he saw one" she winked at him. Takumi blushed. He believed he was and was proud. Better that Ayame was proud of him too.

"Next is to remove the oil glands" said Takumi, as Ayame finished trimming. "It's on the tail end of the chicken. It's yellow, so it will be easy enough to see." He turned the chicken onto its front and twisted it around so that he grasped the carcass with his left and poised the knife in his right hand right above the oil gland. Ayame nodded when she began to see the yellow gland as he was cutting it off the tail end. It took her a few goes to get all the glands out for her own chicken.

"So now for the exciting bit you were waiting for, we're going to take out the entrails" Takumi smiled. Ayame whispered a silent 'yes', making Takumi shake his head in amusement. He leaned over and kissed her on the nose, causing her to blush. "Obviously, we'll need to go through the… backdoor…"

Ayame snorted.

"The best way is to cut a small opening and tear it wider. The less cutting, the better to minimise the chance of accidentally cutting into the intestines or other organs you shouldn't cut into" Takumi flipped the bird onto it's back again and positioned the posterior at an angle for Ayame to see. Takumi pinched the skin and lifted it up above the knife. He angled the knife up a bit to avoid cutting into the internal organs and horizontally sliced into the lifted part. The opening looked rather small, but it was actually big enough. Takumi wriggled two fingers from each hand into the opening of the chicken and pulled them apart, making the opening much larger. Ayame winced.

"And now we're going to remove all the guts. Wash your hands thoroughly first and put on some gloves" Takumi pointed to a fresh pair of latex gloves for her on the kitchen island.

"You don't want any gloves?" she asked, noticed there was only one pair.

"I prefer not to use them" he said. He had never used gloves for dressing chicken before. _Pappa_ thought they were for pansies. "Okay so… W-Wait! Watch me first, Ayame!"

"Hmm?" Ayame had her hand poised, sleeves rolled up higher and ready to plunge her gloved hand into the bird and rip the guts out.

"Flip it onto the front first. You want to insert your hand, fingertips first, up into the top of the bird. Keep your fingertips tight to the bird's breastbone. You have reach in _slow and deep_ , over the top of the guts, towards the front end of the bird" he enunciated 'slow and deep' a lot more to make sure she listened carefully and didn't rush in her excitement.

"Is this _slow and deep_ enough?" she smirked at him, her eyes half lidded.

 _Dio mio, she just did not… Cazzo! HE just did not…_

"OKAY! Um… ummm, the next s-step is… is uh… Oh yeah! When you have reached in as far as you can go, curl your fingertips down, so you are grasping a good handful of guts. Then, pull out slow, straight, and steady. Don't squish your fingertips around because you don't want to break the gall bladder. You might need to do a few scoops" The words rolled out his mouth in one breath and he finished with a sigh. Ayame was back to copying his actions, humming cheekily as she went. Takumi tremoured as he replayed Ayame's innuendo over and over in his head. It was stuck like a broken record! Takumi was as much as a sore loser as Yukihira, so he was going to have to top her with an even wittier and saucier comeback… once he thought long and hard. Both of them did a few more scoops to make sure they got all the guts out from the cavity.

"No, don't throw away the insides yet. We need to look for the gall bladder" he placed his hand on Ayame's to stop her from throwing her chicken's entrails away. It looked like his _bella_ was getting a bit ahead of herself. "It's green and right next to the liver. We have to make sure it's not broken, otherwise if it is, the bile inside will have contaminated the meat" Takumi carefully moved the chicken guts around in his hand and showed to Ayame the still intact green-coloured organ that was the gall bladder sitting beside the liver. Ayame gently shifted her own in her gloved hands and sighed when she found that she successfully left the gall-bladder intact too.

"Ok, just cut the large intestine from the back end" Both of them threw the entails away after completing the step.

"Now, we need to get the heart and lungs. The heart is in the centre of the chest" Takumi reached into the gaping cavity and plucked out the heart and Ayame did the same. So far she still looked ok and she seemed to be going fine as a first timer in dressing chicken.

"Lungs are a bit harder to remove because it's spongy and moulded tightly to the ribs on either side of its backbone. People normally scrape it out. I find that instead of scraping to remove the lungs, they come out much better if I use a finger to slide down under each lung and lift it out. It's easier said than done, so for you, I prefer if you just scrape it with your fingertips and I'll check it when you're done."

Ayame nodded and she proceeded to try and scrape the lungs out. Afterwards, Takumi examined it and found there was some bits of lung still stuck to the ribs and scraped them all out himself. He checked the rest of the cavity and nodded, pleased that Ayame had done a rather good job.

"Oh my god! It looks _exactly_ like in the supermarket" Ayame jumped up and down and pointed to her fully dressed chicken on the chopping board. Takumi nodded and hugged her from behind, being careful not to touch her with his hands and plopped her a little kiss on the side of her head. She turned around and beamed up and him, rubbing her nose against his.

"It's not over yet, we need to clean up and chill it in ice water" Takumi chuckled.

He released Ayame and gently pushed her back to the kitchen island with his forearms, lest she danced around the place. He took both their fully dressed chickens and gave them a good wash in the sink and a final inspection. His own chicken was perfect whilst hers was 'not bad'. Her cuts weren't as neat as his since she still needed help on how to properly hold and angle the knife for cutting, but that was a good start. He didn't expect her to be a chef or anything, but he just didn't want her to accidentally hurt herself. Upon his instructions, Ayame went to grab a whole lot of ice in the freezer and popped them out of the mould and into the basin under running water. Takumi gently submerged the chickens into the ice water. "We need to keep it here for a while before we can properly freeze it" he said.

"Awesome! I can't wait to tell my mum and her family" Takumi and Ayame tied off the bag of guts and disposed of it in the outside garbage bin. Then they cleaned down the kitchen island together, with Ayame purposely bumping in Takumi, making him blush even more. They washed their hands with antibacterial soap and took off their aprons.

"Thanks Takumi-kun. This has been a very educational date" she sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Takumi pulled her against him tighter and rubbed his cheeks with hers. She smelled really nice today, sunshine with a hint of her perfume. He breathed it in deeply and couldn't resist nibbling on her ear, earning a relaxed sigh from his _bella_. His heart rate escalated and his blood started to pump faster as he began to caress his hands slowly up and down her back, entranced by her warm puffs of breath against his ear and the way her slim body moulded against his.

"Hey _Fratello_ , Ayame-san— oh…"

Takumi froze up and dared not turn around, effectively caging Ayame against himself who also gasped in surprise. His face exploded with heat by the sound of his younger twin stumbling out his bedroom door. _Oh the embarrassment!_ He slowly released Ayame and turned around to face his brother, trying _very_ hard to make it look like nothing happened.

Isami knew. He knew. Ayame knew. Everyone knew.

"So… anyway, how did it go?" Isami said cheerfully. Takumi thanked _Cristo_ he was being considerate and chose not to poke fun at him and Ayame.

"It w-was good. Mission accomplished" Ayame scratched the back of her head shyly, partially hiding behind Takumi.

"Cool, well done Ayame-san. Isn't Takumi an awesome teacher?" he laughed.

"Yes, very awesome indeed" Ayame stepped forward and smiled at Takumi and he returned a soft smile as well.

"Anyway, I'm going to call my Bianca now, we have a phone-date" Isami waved at them before disappearing out into the balcony. Ayame and Takumi nodded back in understanding.

" _Okaa-san_ showed me an easy _oyakodon_ recipe on our latest video chat, so I'm going to give that a shot with my dressed chicken when I get home" said Ayame.

Takumi thought about it. She couldn't make pancakes or fry fish before he came along. She only knew frozen dumplings in instant noodles, cereal and _soba_ ,and now she wanted to make _oyakodon_ … He didn't want to discourage her or anything, but did she know how to cut a whole chicken and tear off the meat _by herself_? Either way, if she didn't know, she would have asked him. So Takumi decided he was just being overly-cautious and that his _bella_ knew what she was doing. She learnt her lesson with the pancakes and fish. She was a smart person after all. Plus, she successfully dressed chicken under his guidance. He decided he will remain standby at his phone should she text or call in a cooking emergency.

"So let's watch the movie now" Ayame pulled out her memory stick, or USB as she insisted everyone should call it and dangled it in his face. Takumi smiled and poked at the warn out robot sticker on the side of it. She said the movie was purely made from CGI, including the characters. He had seen movies that incorporated CGI, but not made _entirely_ of it, so it would be very interesting to see. Takumi asked her to wait a bit on the living room sofa while he grabbed his laptop and power cord from his room and returned to the living room. She had already pulled out her bun so it was a thick wavy waterfall against her shoulders. She was settled on the couch with her knees up, clutching a cushion to her chest as Takumi set up his laptop.

"So what am I going to expect?" he asked.

"Lots of action" she cackled.

* * *

Once the movie started playing and Takumi sat down, Ayame shifted to fold her legs beneath her body and leaned into his chest. Takumi wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned back comfortably, liking the way their bodies relaxed together. Today, Ayame was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and light beige shorts. She also had a pair of black socks which reached all the way to mid-thigh, revealing a strip of bare skin. It was like that thin strip of exposed skin between her shorts and socks was teasing him because his fingers were itching to caress it. Since it was the _thigh_ area that was calling out to him, Takumi manned himself up and refused to look at it, like a gentleman should. He couldn't trust himself if he dared lay his eyes upon the sensual, creamy skin of her thighs again. The more he spent time with Ayame, the more he could see that his life would have been duller without her. Her quirkiness, intellect and thirst to learn everything of the science made him feel so lucky to have found a gem like her. He was sure his "like" was deepening into something more.

"So what did you think?" Ayame stretched out her kinks, twisting around her lithe body like a cat. Takumi wanted to run his finger down her sides, but he didn't want her to elbow his face if it tickled her too much. The credits finished rolling and his media player returned to its regular screen.

"The storyline was a bit confusing, but I understood enough. The graphics were impressive. They were so detailed!" he commented in awe. Ayame flopped back against him and he also moved so that he was reclining on the armrest of the sofa and she laid on top of his chest. He reached up and smoothed the tops of her head, playing with the wisps of her hair.

"I know, right? How do they make those characters look so incredibly life-like? I'm jealous that their skin were flawless… that's Japanese technology for you" she frowned.

Takumi gently grasped her chin and turned her face upwards towards him. He kissed her deeply and stroked her jaw, coaxing her to turn around a bit more, so that she could be more comfortable in their position. "You are beautiful, more than any other girl in the world, virtual or real" he whispered against her lips. He relished in the way she blushed deeply and darted her eyes away, trying to bury her face in his chest as he patted and stroked the back of her head, feeling every single silky strand.

"Hey, I'm going to make us some dinner now. How do you feel about _pollo alla cacciatora_ , which is Hunter's Chicken Stew?" he asked.

"Sound's good"

Takumi took Ayame's hand and they both padded to the kitchen where he showed her how to pack and freeze her first dressed chicken so that she could take it home at the end of the day. Ayame settled onto the seat at the kitchen island and chatted with Takumi as he took his perfectly dressed chicken and began cutting it into different cuts to be used for the _pollo alla cacciatora._

"So, why is it called hunter's chicken stew?" she asked, lacing her fingers together and resting her elbows on the counter-top.

" _Cacciatore_ means 'hunter', so it's the type of food that a hunter's wife cooks for her husband when he gets home from a hard morning spent in the countryside" said Takumi, smiling.

Ayame giggled and it was obvious why. It kind of suited them in a really odd way. He cooked for her like a married couple would and they spent a lot of time together in the kitchen, which was normally the centre of a family home. Takumi readied the deep-pan he needed and took out the ingredients including a bottle of good quality _Chianti_ from _Firenze_ for the stew. It would take about two hours or so to cook, but that was plenty of time.

"Can I at least season the chicken?" Ayame asked.

"Hmm… okay then" said Takumi. She went over and washed her hands and listened to Takumi's instructions word for word. She sprinkled the chicken pieces with a generous amount of salt and pepper inside a bowl, rubbing it over the meat firmly, making sure it was coated nicely. Next she added the fresh bay leaves, rosemary and garlic Takumi had crushed in the meantime, and poured half a bottle of the _Chianti_ onto the seasoned chicken. The smell of the herbs and red wine danced perfectly and he was sure Ayame would love the flavour. Then he took the bowl from her and covered it with kitchen film and placed it in the fridge

"I'm going to marinate it for an hour" he said while Ayame wiped down the kitchen bench.

"Chizuru-chan and I treated Kuchiyose-kun out for lunch yesterday" she resumed their small talk.

"Was everything ok?" Takumi asked carefully. He had no idea what happened after their male friend's traumatic experience on the first night of the Summer Solstice Festival because he and Isami had been so busy with packing up their stall and the next four days after that, he barely had time to chat with Ayame.

"I'd say, he got back at us… in a way" she said slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"We took him to his favourite _yakiniku_ place to make it up to him for… you know. Well, _he drained our wallets dry"_ she sighed dramatically. "Do you know how much he _eats_? He packs food away like it's nobody's business. He sure didn't hold back at all and I lost count of how many servings he had _alone_. I'm so glad he only pays for his own servings when the three of us usually go out and eat after school. But yesterday? He sure knows how to get back at us, _good"_

Takumi didn't know anything comforting to say to that.

"Well, Chizuru-chan and I have definitely learned our lesson. He's back to his usual self now, only more content" she laughed, sounding happy to be back in Kuchiyose's good graces. Takumi was sure she would never, ever, ever accidentally forget her tall and silent friend again. Also, God forbid what would happen if she forgot Namikaze for just a second…

Takumi was well aware of how much Kuchiyose ate. He was a very tall boy who was equally athletic as he planned on becoming a professional soccer player, so it was expected that he ate huge amounts of food to keep up his strength and nutrition. Also, he was toned and unusually slender, so he must have a very fast metabolism meaning he tended to eat more often. That day of Hayama's and Mito-san's _shokugeki_ was indication enough that he was a fast eater. Two blinks and their dishes disappeared right before his eyes as the lilac-haired giant leaned back after clearing his plate in no time. Also that day when he helped Takumi transport all their belongings to the newly renovated apartment, he ate five boxes of takeaway _bentous_ during their lunch-break without breaking a sweat. So the blonde Italian could imagine he could easily make the most of Ayame's and Namikaze's peace offering for an all paid for _yakiniku_ lunch in their attempt to seek his forgiveness for forgetting to check for his urgent text messages.

"Kuchiyose-san sounds easy to please" commented Takumi.

"He is, actually. He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. But don't push him though, even the nicest people will turn into the scariest things. You'll find that the world turns into a very small place when he's cross with you" chuckled Ayame.

"Noted" said Takumi. But Ayame and Namikaze were his best friends, which he knew of. So they probably got off easy. Kuchiyose-san completely deserved his given name.

An hour later and a round of Ayame chasing Takumi around the kitchen island to demonstrate the stride motions of the famous _ASIMO_ robot created by the car company _Honda_ , Takumi grabbed her and dragged her to fridge with him to stop her running around and to get the well marinated chicken out. Next he drained out the marinade into a smaller bowl and was able to pat the chicken meat dry with some paper towels as the marinade has soaked well into the flesh. Then he dusted the chicken with some flour, making sure to shake off the excess before putting it onto a cast iron pan that was already splashed with olive oil. Takumi and Isami was glad the apartment already provided some cast-iron pots and pans because that was what they also used in _Trattoria Aldini_. Their landlady told them she would buy new ones for the apartment if they were too old, but they assured her it was fine. Cast iron pots and pans were better than the modern ones in some regards such as distributing heat evenly because they were thicker to heat. He continued to fry the chicken until they were golden brown and fragrant, then he placed them to the side on another plate with a pair of tongs.

"Oh God… that smells so yum…" Ayame moaned from the kitchen island.

"Almost there, _mio caro"_ Takumi laughed lightly.

He himself couldn't wait for her to try it and watch her with undivided attention. He always felt really excited to be cooking something only for his _bella_. He thought it was mainly because he liked to watch her eat and savour her reactions because it got his blood all excited. But now he just liked to shower her with his unique form of affection, which came in food form on top of that. After all, she deserved nothing but the best from him. Takumi then fried some sliced garlic until it was nicely browned and aromatic, then he added the anchovies, pitted green and black olives, crushed tomatoes and the lovely chicken pieces with the wonderful marinade he reserved. Finally, he placed the lid on until the stew boiled and then placed the pan into the pre-heated oven.

"That needs to be in the oven for about an hour and a half" said Takumi.

"Aya… You said it was going to be ready soon" Ayame patted her stomach and pretended to be fatigued. He knew she was pretending because she dramatically dropped her head onto her folded arms on the kitchen island and turned away from him.

"I know, I know, but have patience, and it will taste better" Takumi wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Her long hair was splayed out over her arms and she was now sighing dreamily and was tracing her finger over the counter in little circles.

"What are you writing, Ayame?" he asked and bent forward so that his head lightly rested over hers while he still hugged her gently from behind. Her hair felt so soft against his cheeks, he could just stay like this forever.

"The formula for the 'moment of inertia' _._ It's like this" Ayame traced her hands slowly again and Takumi's eyes followed her movements. It didn't resemble any writing that he knew of. He didn't need her to explain that.

"Mmmmmm… Do I smell _pollo alla cacciatora_ tonight?"

Takumi snapped out of his brooding at the sound of his brother's voice. Isami emerged from the balcony. His hair was tousled by the breeze, but still maintained it's combed back appearance. It looked like he had a nice long chat with Bianca, his long-distance girlfriend, from the way he smiled blissfully.

"Yep! I don't know how many million more years it will take though" Ayame grinned cheekily at Takumi, getting some ice tea and pouring out three glasses for everyone. Takumi rolled his eyes.

"Soon"

"I believe you like the Earth is spherical _"_ replied Ayame cheekily.

"What? The Earth is not round?" asked Isami, looking very interested.

"It is, just not in the way that you think. It's actually an _oblate spheroid_. So imagine a perfect sphere and squash the north pole and the south pole, which are the minor axes, together a little bit and you'll have the shape of the Earth _"_ she said.

"Cool!" said Isami, finishing off his ice tea and pouring himself some more.

"Hey Isami, I've been meaning to ask this. Why didn't Yukihira create a Chinese food stall this year to settle the score with Terunori like he wanted?" asked Takumi. He had been meaning to ask either him or Yukihira when he got the chance, but everyone had been incredibly busy.

"Ah, bit of a long story. I'll start from the beginning. Terunori, whom you've met briefly, Ayame-san, was bullying a student who recently tried to form a Vietnamese Cuisine RS. She'd recently moved from Vietnam, so her Japanese isn't too good yet. Anyway, he'd been antagonising her, claiming that Chinese cooking was superior and she shouldn't try. Obviously that upset her greatly. When Yukihira-kun found out one day, he decided to leave his unfinished battle with Terunori aside. He challenged him to a new bet to take back every nasty thing he said about Vietnamese Cuisine. He also demanded that he apologise to her and stop bullying her, on the new student's behalf. Hence, Yukihira-kun and Tadokoro-san created a Vietnamese Food Truck as their weapon" said Isami.

"Terunori-san sounds like a very troubled person with low self-esteem" commented Ayame.

" _Si._ I believe so too. Most bullies are like that. I think it's to do with his height" Isami agreed with Ayame, nodding in tandem.

"The point Yukihira wanted to make was that Vietnamese cuisine was neither inferior nor superior to anything, including Chinese cuisine. That goes for everything else. There's no such thing as one cuisine being better than the other, because they are all so diverse, unique and different. All cuisines have evolved from different roots over thousands and thousands of years to come to their own identity as we know them now. Some adapted styles from other cultures and countries, and others remain in their traditional forms. It's brilliant! Therefore it's utterly wrong and unfair to make biased comparisons when they are all so wonderful and beautiful in their own way, even more so to do it only to justify ones' own egotistical beliefs." Isami concluded.

"You are so right, Isami-kun. I'm glad Yukihira-kun decided to defend the student" said Ayame.

Takumi thought about his own rivalry with Yukihira. It wasn't all about which cuisine was better than whose. It was more about whose skill was better. It just so happened that Takumi was trained to cook in Italian cuisines all his life, and Yukihira had yet to find his one true style. Unlike Terunori, he thought himself better than making elitist claims for a cuisine style. He was indeed proud of his skill as an Aldini chef and wasn't afraid to show it off, but he certainly didn't throw his weight around like Terunori. His rivalry was more than just to see how much better he was compared to Yukihira, it was to see how much better he had become since he left _Italia,_ how much passion he still had left for cooking. _How much better he could be._ After all, in the grand scheme of things, Yukihira was just a stepping stone.

Isami's story about Yukihira's and Tadokoro-san's actions resonated with something Takumi had heard of before. Where had he heard it? No, it weren't those _exact_ words, but something similar and carried the same gravitas. He wasn't imagining things, he had certainly heard someone say something like this before.

'… _for kindness'_

Takumi snapped his eyes wider just as he opened up the oven and checked his stew. He remembered now. That's what Yukihira did, it was what he'd always done. He cooked for _kindness_. He may or may not realise it in his heart, but he'd put his skills to use in just the right moments. First for Tadokoro-san when she was threatened to be expelled by Chef Shinomiya. Second was in DEF kitchen. Now the third time was to defend the Vietnamese student.

One couldn't be selfless without being _kind._

One couldn't be generous without being _kind._

One couldn't be heroic without being _kind_.

'… _for kindness'_

"I think the stew is ready now" said Takumi.

He hefted the cast iron pan out and placed it on the heat mats already put out. The stew bubbled thickly and he could smell the garlic, rosemary, bayleaf and red wine just melt through his nostrils and tantilised the back of his tongue. The pieces of tender, slow cooked chicken were like clustered islands bathing in a sea of glistening red stew. Isami licked his lips and Ayame needed a tissue to wipe her drool. Ayame ran to the other side and grabbed some plates, forks and knives, almost tripping in her impatience. Isami went to quickly wash some salad greens and russle up a simple salad dressing, and started arranging them neatly on the plates. Takumi dished up each serving, trying to stop Ayame from trying to dip her fork into the stew before it even left the pan.

"Ah Takumi, there's still half a bottle of _Chianti_. Let's take that out too!" said Isami excitedly.

"Oh yeah…" murmured Takumi.

"I've never had wine before, I've always wanted to try it" Ayame fist pumped the air.

"Ayame… do you think that's a good idea?" asked Takumi, almost in a panicked state. He finally placed the last chicken maryland on Ayame's plate.

"Yeah? Why, you don't think so?" asked Ayame in confusion.

"Remember what happened when we arrived back at your place from Ikebukuro…?"

* * *

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Some time ago...**_

Summer nights were still fairly warm and Ayame wouldn't stop praising each of the tiny servings of desserts were on the dessert degustation platter. He still couldn't believe the desserts were on the house. It looked like Chef Mizuhara still held him in high regard, even if he and Isami declined her offer of a graduate position after Tootsuki. The taxi ride home was stuck in traffic a bit on the main highway of Ikebukuro, but when it left central Tokyo to enter Western Tokyo, the traffic eased up greatly. Ayame already missed the electrifying and dancing city lights of Ikebukuro, the entertainment district of Tokyo. He could tell she would really love to go there again. Right on time with a few seconds to spare, the taxi arrived smoothly to the curb in front of Ayame's house. Takumi opened the door and got out first and offered his hand to help her out. It was a magical evening and he could see it in her smile and her eyes. Takumi asked the driver to wait and bit and he was content to do so.

"I had such an amazing time, Takumi-kun" said Ayame as they made it to her front porch.

"I'm glad you did" Takumi took her small hand in his and pressed his lips gently to her knuckles. She giggled back. She took out her keys and inserted into the lock. She placed her hand over the handle and paused. She turned to Takumi and gave him a smile so sweet, it melted his heart.

"Good luck for you and your brother's stall for—"

 _WOOSH!_

The door swung open on its own, her keys still in the lock and the keyring clanged noisily, and standing right there was her father.

The Superintendent General Father.

He stood there, glowering at them and his hand was tightly gripped on the door knob, whilst his other hand was holding the door frame. Takumi didn't think he'd feel frightened this much for the second time that day! His long sleek black hair was tied up high on his head, leaving two long locks of hair framing his angular face. It hadn't changed at all since he came to pick Ayame up. It was probably the trick of the porch light and the darkness, but he thought Ayame's father looked a lot more _feral_ and dangerous right now. His eyes we sharp, calculating and cold and his deathly gaze shot Takumi in the soul. There was something odd about his appearance. Something long and thin trailed from under the white dress shirt he was wearing, probably the same one from earlier, and into his ear.

"Oh my GOD! Don't do that, _Otou-san!_ That almost scared me half to death. Hang on a minute… Is that an _earpiece_ in your ear?!" Ayame stamped her wedged heels onto the front porch and pointed accusingly at her father, like a tiny Chihuahua yapping at a great Doberman.

"So what if it fucking is?" he bit back at her in a snarky manner, grinning menacingly.

"You know how I don't like it when you try to do work at home. It's not for work is it…" she narrowed her eyes at him and leaned up to his face, her hands on her hips.

His grin turned savage "How was _Ikebukuro?"_ he drawled.

"Well, if you must know we had a… WAIT! We never told you we went to Ikebukuro! How did you-! Unbelievable! That earpiece wasn't for work! We were tailed weren't we? _You had someone spy on us…"_ she seethed at him in her own way.

Her father's grin split into a _shit-eating_ smirk.

Takumi felt his blood drain. Spy on them? Where police officers allowed to do that for personal agendas? Knowing her father and his rank in the police department, he could probably do anything and no one would have the guts to confront him about it. Even if he was technically not supposed to do it, he could still _make that happen_. There was an insane amount of lava around Takumi when he was around Ayame's father. One wrong step and he would burn in hell. The fear was real.

"You know what? I'm not dealing with you right now" Ayame sighed tiredly and threw her arms up in the air in defeat. "Takumi-kun, would you like to come in for some tea or...?" she said sweetly.

He gulped "Um… N-No, it's alright. It's late and I have to get g-going. You need some rest" said Takumi, trying to smile. He gingerly skated his blue eyes past her head, just to make sure there wasn't a police gun aimed at his face, but to his surprise her father was no longer there. He didn't even notice or hear him leave!

"Oh I understand. You need it too because you have a stall to plan" she winked at him.

He bade her a _buono notte_ and kissed her cheek and she kissed his too. He jumped at the sound her father yelling _'Wrap the fuck up!'_ and apologised profusely if he kept her late for too long, which she assured him that everything was alright, even if it didn't seem like it. Takumi waved at her again when he got into the taxi. He kept his eyes on her until she closed the front door and the taxi drove away into the night, back to his apartment.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

"Actually, you're right. I'll skip the wine if that's ok. Otherwise, we might be seeing red laser dots on everything" Ayame laughed nervously and backed away from the bottle of _Chianti._

"Huh?" Isami had a perplexed expression on his face. Takumi gave him the signal that he'd tell him later and Isami just nodded with confusion.

"Let's dig in everyone! _Buon apetito!"_ she yelled.

"I'm supposed to say that!"

* * *

After dinner, the worst thing imaginable happened.

It was _pouring_ _rain_. It rained like witches' piss.

There was no way Ayame was going to go home in that. Even his strongest umbrella would be futile in this torrential downpour. The weather forecast mentioned that there would be a fifty-fifty chance of a light shower, which was completely off the mark. Takumi had no other choice. He urged Ayame to stay until the rain let up. Isami rechecked the weather to see if there was a chance that this was only a freak, twenty-second occurrence, which sometimes it were. Unfortunately the most updated weather forecast showed there were lots of storm clouds all over Western Tokyo and it was mostly likely going to continue through the night.

"Ayame, I think it's best that you should stay the night" said Takumi, standing next to her as they peered out the window into the the miserable weather.

"If you're really sure. I could still call a taxi or something to take me home" she insisted.

"No, there's more likely to be road accidents and traffic jams right now with this rain and your father won't do me any favours if I sent you home in this" said Takumi, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You're right. Let me call _Otou-san_ first" Ayame kissed him on the cheek and pulled her phone.

While Ayame waited for the call to connect, Takumi went to choose some sleeping clothes for Ayame to wear. As he went through his wardrobe and drawers, it started to became harder and harder to choose what was appropriate. He had a sleeping shirt that was soft and hoped it was comfortable. However he didn't own any sleeping shorts. He slept in his boxers. Takumi blushed profusely at the thought of Ayame wearing his boxer to sleep. It seemed so wrong! At the same time, his mind wondered shamelessly. He had sleeping pants too, but the night would be too hot and the rain will increase the humidity. What Ayame wore now wouldn't be comfortable to sleep in, so it looked like there wasn't really much of a choice.

"Hey, my dad isn't picking up his personal phone or the home phone, which means that he got called into work in an emergency. That happens sometimes" she said.

"Umm… you c-can wear these and you can take the sh-shower first" Takumi thrusted a bundle of clothes in her hands with a spare toothbrush sitting on top.

"Thanks Takumi-kun" she mumbled. Taking his offering gratefully. He just nodded in response, his face beet-red. Ayame walked over to the bathroom and shut the door. He listened to the running shower.

* * *

After her shower, Ayame twirled around in his sleeping shirt and his chequer-patterned boxer shorts. Her freshly dry hair bouncing around her partially exposed shoulders. It looked like she found the hair-dryer.

"A-Are they ok?! D-Do you want me to get s-something else? I could go ask Tadokoro-san for some more appropriate sleep wear if you prefer—"

"No, no, these are fine. They're quite comfortable actually. Besides, the rain is more likely to blow you away before you even reach the bus station" she grabbed his shoulders to calm him down which helped a lot. Takumi tried to avoid looking at Ayame.

She was wearing his clothes. _His_ clothes. His most _intimate_ clothes. If that didn't get his blood running south, nothing else could. She looked absolutely endearing wearing his clothes. She looked good in everything she wore in his opinion, but seeing her like this was pleasing. Like she was utterly and completely his, to the point she was wearing his stuff. His more amorous side would gladly give her his whole wardrobe, just so he had the guilty pleasure of seeing her walk around in them. But nobody will ever know that but him.

"I'll take a shower now… Um… just make yourself comfortable on the bed- B-BUT NOT IN THAT WAY! I didn't mean it like th-that! I'll take the sofa, you don't have to worry about a thing! You take the bed! I'll take the sofa!"

"Shhhhhhh" Ayame placed her finger on his lips which instantly shut him up and stopped his hands from floundering everywhere as every word he spoke made him more nervous and embarrassed than the previous, until he no longer had control over what he was spewing.

"It's alright. Go take your shower" she chuckled and pushed him towards the bathroom, before sauntering into the bedroom.

Takumi had the longest and coldest shower of his life.

* * *

"Honestly Takumi-kun I don't see the problem of us sharing the bed. Nothing's going to happen. I was exaggerating about the laser dots" said Ayame, but Takumi refused to listen. He gripped the thin blanket around himself and shook his head profusely. He laid stiff as a board on the sofa, with his blonde head firmly plastered on the spare pillow he got from the linen cupboard. There was no way he was going to share the same bed with her. He wasn't just afraid if her father found out, because he _will_ at some point, but he was also scared what he might do to her once they got under the covers together.

 _He couldn't guarantee he would be a complete gentleman._

"Takumi-kun… I feel bad for forcing you out onto the sofa, when there's plenty of room on the bed. You have a king-single, which is like two and a half times the width of what you're lying on right now, so it's ok" Ayame continued to sooth him. "I bet _Otou-san_ just made a really lucky, educated guess about us being in Ikebukuro. That earpiece I reckon was for show" she smiled.

 _Hell no, that was NOT for show_.

"N-No, it's not that… It still would be improper—"

"Takumi Aldini, if you say one more word about 'morality', I'll force myself into the sofa with you and we'll see if 'morality' could come and save you then" she huffed as she stood up and leaned over his face, crinkling her nose in annoyance.

Takumi felt his resolve crumble. Ayame took his hand and peeled him off the sofa, leaving his thin spare blanket behind and dragged him back to the bedroom without another word.

* * *

 **Takumi is WHIPPED.**

 _ **'... For kindness'...**_ **Do you guys remember where Takumi first heard this phrase from?**

 **Well! Now we've just filled in the missing piece of what happened after their Ikebukuro date and Kuchiyose-kun :) I don't like writing flashbacks in Italics or even have the little heading "(Flashback)" in the perintheses because if feels like a cheap way to introduce it. Plus, reading blocks in Italics is hard and visually tiring :( To be honest, I don't like writing flashback much, but this chapter called for it. I wanted to keep it in my usual style.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this super-long chapter. Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you in 5 days' time!**

 **Signing off**

 **\- TripWire-dono**


	16. Eizan Etsuya, What Have You Done?

_Chapter 16 – Eizan Etsuya, What Have You Done?_

* * *

"So did I win or not!?"

Erina was about to spear her fountain pen into Terunori-senpai's big forehead and just let him bleed on the carpet. She hated the pattern, but needed an excuse to have it changed anyway. As soon as it was nine o'clock, he was already banging on her office door, demanding to know the total sales income of the Summer Solstice Festival. Specifically Yukihira's stall sales.

' _It's always about Yukihira! Yukihira this! Yukihira that!'_ she internally screamed.

Give her a break. She had too much to deal with right now to have her mind wander over to that dopey face of the red-headed maverick of Polar Star dorms. She knew exactly why Terunori was desperate to know the total sales of her classmate's stall. It was practically broadcasted all over the school newspaper that Terunori-senpai and Yukihira had a battle to see which was better, Sichuan Cuisine? Or Vietnamese Cuisine? At least that was the angle the school newspaper was trying to cover. They were not allowed to hold an official _shokugeki_ during community festivals like this, so those two childish people just took matters into their own hands.

Erina did actually double checked the sales statistics for all stalls for Kinokuni-senpai and saw that Terunori-senpai did in fact beat Yukihira in terms of daily sales three out of five times of the festival days. However, more surprisingly Yukihira had actually beat Terunori-senpai in the _total sales_ at the end of the five days once everything was tallied up to a _grand total._ He had gone and done it and over-turned the natural order of the academy once again. She shouldn't be surprised, but she was. She always was when it came to this unusual boy.

Erina new the stakes of the little battle the two boys had, Yukihira wanted to defend the honour of that new transfer student. Isshiki-senpai had told her so and she of course make it clear that she didn't give a damn for what Yukihira got up to. But she was curious, _so_ curious as to why he would go this far just for a stranger. Isshiki-senpai told her Yukhira just wanted to save the day. How many times did Yukihira felt he needed play the Robin Hood?

' _Stop thinking about him!'_

Erina threw the file at Terunori-senpai with all her might, the corner of the folder hitting him square in the forehead.

"Read it quickly and get out! I have lots of work to do!" she didn't mean to throw a fit, but thinking about Yukihira for too long always got her temper going and she needed a target to focus her annoyance on. She swept her fringe to reserve her decorum.

Terunori-senpai muttered _'tsundere bitch'_ and squinted his eyes as he buried his face into the sales file. She was about to reprimand him for his utter disrespect, but enjoyed the way his face transformed into anger and fire burned in his eyes. Well at least, he know exactly how much of a pain Yukihira was in the arse.

"That bastard! Damn, he really won this time around" Terunori-senpai was shaking uncontrollably and she signaled Hisako to open the door for him, lest he kick it down in his anger.

"Yes he did, and you will be on your way to apologise to Guen-san, I presume?" sighed Erina. It was difficult pronouncing the Vietnamese international student Nguyen Linh Ngoc's name. Most students called her _'Guen-san'_ as the Japanese pronunciation for _Nguyen_ or just _'Rin-san'_. But the girl didn't mind and was understanding. Erina gestured her manicured nails at him to give back the file before he crushed it in his fists. People like him were prone to ugly violence and she had no patience for that… like she was one to talk really.

"Tch… yeah, yeah… I don't go back on my word. I ain't that kind of guy" he muttered darkly under his breath and slapped the file onto her desk, never intending to actually put it into her awaiting hand. Erina smirked. That was the thing with people like the Elite Ten. They were full of hubris but when beaten, held themselves well enough to admit defeat to maintain the undamaged part of their pride. One had to have that quality to be an _honourable_ Elite Ten.

Erina watched Terunori-senpai stomp out of her office muttering curse words, pushing Hisako out of the way, probably blinded by his humiliating defeat. Erina sighed and rubbed her temples. That was one nuisance gone, about a hundred more to go. The blonde Nakiri twisted around in her chair and stared out the window. When it came to Yukihira, all the rules were broken. When it came to Yukihira, her comfort zones were ripped apart. When it came to Yukihira, she didn't know what to do or think. Her God's Palate was threatened to become a Fallen Angel Palate whenever she tasted his food because they were sinfully delicious, not like she could ever admit it to anyone. She was angry, she was disgusted, she was… _scared_. She was afraid she would gravitate towards him too much, but she was already on that orbital path. The red-headed diner chef didn't make any sense. He did his own thing, unbounded by expectations and was always on some sort of self-discovery. He came up with the most unusual dishes that left almost everyone in the dust. He didn't fit into the culinary mould. But then again, he never tried to, he believed himself above that and all his friends loved him for it.

 _Everybody loved him_.

Maybe Erina needed to believe herself to be above that too.

* * *

Floating, floating floating. She was floating on a cloud. She slowly emerged from her fast dissipating dream from the morning sound of chirping birds. She couldn't remember what she dreamt. Just the after image, like the foot prints on the beach, washed away by the tides. All that was left was the light headed buzz of waking and a pleasant tranquillity. The soothing smell of rain and cedar was a refreshing welcome and brought a smile to her face. Ayame straightened her legs into a tangled mess of a thin soft blanket. That was funny, she used only a comforter in summer. She yawned and made a move to rub the sleep from her eyes when she noticed she couldn't budge her arm.

Something groaned behind her.

' _What…'_

Ayame took a full five seconds to kick her brain back into gear. Images from last night played out in her mind like a montage. Ah. She was in Takumi-kun's bed… Takumi-kun was in his bed _with_ her. She suddenly remembered the storm from last night, the claps of thunder, the rain pelting against the balcony door and the windows like someone flinging gravel at it. She also remembered how she had to drag her boyfriend back to his own bedroom because it was ridiculous that he chose the uncomfortable sofa rather than a larger and more comfy sleepy surface with her. She remembered how he was such an adorable mess as he hesitantly got under the thin covers with her. His face was flushed red all the way down to the neck and up his ears. He lied down as if tasered on high voltage, literally on the edge of the bed and she had to once again coax him further in, should he accidentally tumble off and hurt himself in the name of _'gentle-manliness'_. She remembered how tempted she was to give him a 'proper' good night kiss in bed, just to see him faint and finally go to sleep. They laid down facing each other, the last thing she saw was his beautiful sky blue eyes gazing at her in adoration before she fell to sleep first. Ayame immediately relaxed once she took comfort in understanding why she was here and not in her own room.

The bed shifted. Ayame traced her fingers down to feel Takumi-kun's arm wrapped tightly around her waist and her other arm, from behind. His face was buried in her hair, puffs of steady breathing warmed her neck. She tried to twist around, but was trapped against him and the trap was solid. His longer legs started moving and Ayame's breath hitched loudly before she knew what was happening. If she didn't feel it before, she felt it now.

 _Against her buttocks was a steel rod._

' _Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!'_

All tranquility and morning doziness was banished from her mind as panic and unadulterated embarrassment washed over her. It was Takumi-kun's morning wood. Her skin prickled as if a million ants crawled over her body and she was sure right now her temperature was sky rocketing and she was sweating like crazy right now. It was probably the humid haze left by the rain! Yes, it must be! Every time she tried to move her body away, the steel rod pressed harder against her. It was fast becoming awkward, borderline mortifying! Ayame never in a million years thought she would ever feel _that_ _part_ of the male human anatomy before reaching her twenties. She was actually _feeling_ it in all its glory pressed tightly against her behind with only the thin material of Takumi-kun's boxers both of them were wearing in between. If Ayame dared to _think_ about it, she would described it as incredibly warm, stiff and…

 _Exciting._

No. no. no! She wouldn't and shouldn't be feeling this way about _that!_ Sure she had slipped the odd playful, sexual comment every now and again just to get a rise out of Takumi-kun and reduce him to a heated mess because it was so fun, but this was the real deal. This was as intimate they had ever been with each other and Takumi-kun wasn't even awake. It sounded like he was still in REM sleep because he began murmuring into her hair in muffled Italian, so she had no idea what he was saying. The vibrations from his croaky, sleep-worn voice sent delicious tingles through her body. Upon reflex, she released a soft moan and arced her back, pressed her behind further into him. Instantly, his arms constricted around her and he grunted sleepily. Her breathing sped up into small, rapid gasps as her mortification pedaled forward.

He grinded.

"Aya!" she yelped.

She clapped her free hand over her mouth, trying to calm her breathing, but to no success. Luckily, he just gave a little snort but remained asleep to her absolute relief. Her body was shaky and a familiar sense slowly invaded her lower region, making her instantly feel hot and bothered. There was one other time she felt like this and it was the night Takumi-kun made _bruschetta_ for her and they both made out. _Arousal._

But this was better. Ayame bit her lip and her vision went slightly blurry. It felt good. It felt _really_ good. She wanted to feel it again with Takumi-kun because it was out of this world. Only he ever made her feel this way. She hesitantly grounded her behind against him too, instantly sending shots of electricity through her lower half. Takumi-kun who was still asleep slowly rocked his hips back and forth against her, digging his face further into the back of her neck until she felt teeth meeting her skin.

"Nnggh...!" She bit back her moan. She couldn't believe Takumi-kun was nipping the back of her neck in his sleep! Even more unbelievable that she was encouraging all this. She'll never be able to look him in the eye after this. Probably stare at his perfect nose or something.

" _Aya… me"_ came out a strangled groan.

Her stomach clenched as a coiling began to build from within. Ayame's eyes flew open in shock, still bleary. He was dreaming about her? Ayame was quickly reduced to feeling timid and sheepish. Goodness, this was really happening and she was in the midst of it all. His arms started unraveling slightly and brushed up the underside of her breast. She hissed. Her arousal intensified and she craved to feel that again, and the sleep-ridden Italian didn't disappoint. Whatever he was dreaming about was being manifested into the real world. He continued to caress her chest lightly and Ayame was reeling back from the sensual finger-tips causing her body to flutter in pleasure. Soon she was drenched in sweat. Her eyes turned half-lidded and her brain melted into goo, totally succumbing to Takumi-kun's ministrations. His head moved lower down until his soft lips met her bare shoulder. He placed languid and hot sloppy kisses onto her skin in his sleep. She could tell he was still asleep because there was no way he would be doing this whilst awake.

Ayame rubbed her thighs together hoping to make the warm wetness that was forming between her legs disappear. Her boyfriend continued to unknowingly thrust against her behind and was steadily slowing down. His hands began to creep higher and Ayame gently clawed at them, one side of her trying to preserve both their dignities and the other side fighting to unleash her desires to be manhandled by her man. Takumi-kun in his sleep was unrelenting. He continued to rub himself against her rhythmically at a slow speed and the heat radiating from his body cloaked her in a heady, masculine scent of cedar. Takumi-kun's strong arms were curled around her upper chest now, his hand resting on her shoulder. Ayame clutched his arms, trying to create more room for herself but soft groaning against her nape stopped her.

" _Il…mio"_

He boyfriend was back to mumbling Italian into her hair. She should really stop this now before he woke up and find themselves in such a compromising position that much needed explanations will render both of them speechless, or Isami might pop in for whatever reason… or a police surveillance drone might be hovering outside.

Speaking of her _Otou-san…_

Ayame reached under the pillow and fished out her phone with her free hand. There were no returned calls or texts from _Otou-san_. Either he had his hands tied with his ongoing investigation or didn't bother checking, or he did check but decided to do nothing. _Otou-san_ had been so pre-occupied lately. New developments were always cropping up and he either left home at odd hours or was just almost never home. Either way, he will be out of their hair for a while. She tucked her phone back under the pillow.

The arms around her unfurled some more and the disrupted breathing told her that her boyfriend was finally emerging from his deep sleep. Ayame dropped dead like a log and pretended to continue sleeping. She wanted to save him the humiliation once he realised… he's not-so-little-but-actually quite-impressive-predicament… and what he'd been doing. She evened out her breathing into a sleeping pace and stayed absolutely still. She felt Takumi-kun turn around in bed and she felt it dip as he slowly sat up. He yawned and grumbled.

" _Merda!"_

Yep. It looked like Takumi-kun had just noticed his morning wood. She remained absolutely still and battled the urge to just pretend to wake up right this instant to catch a glimpse of his morning sleepy face! She felt the hairs on her cheek stand on end and it tickled apprehensively. Soft and warm puffs of air cascaded over her face. Takumi-kun must be leaning over her side to check if she was still asleep, and she gave nothing away, even remembering to pretend to softly snore.

She almost jolted out of her pretend sleep, when Takumi-kun planted a quick peck on her cheek before scrambling out as gently as possible. She listened to his soft pitter-patter as he made his way out into the corridor, do doubt converging to the bathroom for a morning shower to… take care of some business. Yes, Ayame read smut at times, thanks to Chizuru-chan. She knew how these things worked. When the coast was clear, she got up out of bed and was able to stretch properly this time. She released a beastly yawn and kicked the thin blanket off for good before getting out of bed. She quickly made the bed and wondered out into the kitchen.

" _Buongiorno_ Ayame-chan! Did you get a good night's sleep?" Isami-kun's cheery voice rang out from the balcony door near the kitchen.

"Ah! Y-yes, I did. Thanks for asking" smiled Ayame. She didn't expect Isami-kun to be out here.

Isami-kun was dressed in a sleeveless hoodie and thin cargo pants. His taller frame leaned against the balcony doorway, a small cup in his hand. Ayame followed the smell of coffee to the sink. There was an electric percolater sitting on the bench beside the sink.

"I've just made some coffee. Would you like some?" asked Isam-kuni, gesturing his cup towards the percolater, offering her a friendly smile.

"Oh no, that's ok. I think percolated coffee will be a little too strong for me" Ayame declined politely. She sat up onto one of the stools and helped herself to an apple in the fruits basket. She realised that she was still wearing Takumi-kun's sleeping shirt and boxers but Isami-kun didn't seem to mind at all. He was very polite and didn't gawk or stare or anything. He nodded and joined her at the kitchen island.

 _"Nessun problema_. But hang around here more often and you'll be used to it in no time" Isami-kun's eyes crinkled cheekily.

"Haha, I don't want to impress Takumi-kun too much. Funny, I've never seen an electric percolator before" said Ayame.

"I brought it back from _Italia_. It's really handy. You just have to put in the water and ground coffee beans, plug it in and let it do its thing. It has a thermostat that automatically stops the percolation process after some time and keeps the coffee warm too" said Isami-kun.

"Do you like it better than an ordinary perculator?" Ayame almost finished her apple.

" _Si._ With an ordinary percolater, you have the remove the filter basket with the grounds immediately because if you leave the grounds in the pot, steam will condense on top and drop back into the coffee. This will strengthen the brew and make it bitter. So it is handier for Takumi and I because we drink coffee at different times" he said continuing to smile at her. Ayame liked Isami-kun a lot. He was very warm, kind and friendly. She felt she could get along with him super-well.

"How's your girlfriend? Bianca-san was it?"

"Ah! She's doing fine. This is her right here!"

Isami-kun whipped out his smart phone as quick as lighting and flicked through heaps of photos of a beautiful brunette haired girl with luscious olive skin for Ayame to see. She had very pretty blue eyes just like the Aldini brothers, but a lighter shade. There had got to be hundreds of photos of Isami-kun together with his girlfriend because the photo slideshow never seemed to end or got less cheesy. Isami-kun was gushing non-stop over how wonderful she was and Ayame believed him whole heartedly. They looked like they made an adorable couple, they looked so in love. As Ayame flicked through photos of their dates, she thought about herself and Takumi-kun. They didn't have many photos together where it was just the two of them. They had photos with her friends included. Maybe it would be a good idea to start solidifying their memories together by taking photos.

"Ayame? Isami?"

Ayame turned around to be greeted by the sight of Takumi-kun fresh from his shower. His semi-wet hair was slicked back and he looked yummy. She was not ashamed to admit it in her mind. She smiled at him as he approached her to kiss her on the cheek and said _buongiorno_ to the both herself and his brother. Isami-kun poured him some coffee pushed the cup over to Takumi-kun and he thanked him. Ayame stared at him as he drank coffee and noticed he didn't have the redness from a fresh steaming shower.

Ah. He indeed had a cold shower…

Ayame smiled indiscreetly.

"Ayame, I can take you home whenever you're ready. Would you like to have breakfast and take a shower first?" he asked.

"No, I'm alright. I need to get going. I've got an alarm clock to finish and a morning skype call with _Okaa-san_. She is still on her never-ending business trip. Thanks so much for letting me stay the night" she said. Ayame rubbed the back of her head and checked the clock on the wall. It was eleven o'clock already so that was really nice sleep in.

Ayame returned Isami-kun's phone, letting him know that Bianca-san was gorgeous and he blushed and laughed loudly. Takumi-kun followed her back into the bedroom and Ayame had to cough into her fist, to signal to him that she intended to change her clothes into the ones from last night _by herself._ He got the hint and spluttered an apology and crab-walked out, closing the door gently behind him. She shook her head and chuckled. Her boyfriend was so cute.

Once Ayame finished and placed his clothes into the laundry hamper for him, she tied her hair up into a bun. She did a final check that everything was in order and that everything in Takumi-kun's room was the way it was before she slept over. Ayame sighed and stepped out into the kitchen.

"Eh? Really? Seriously you don't have to. You should keep it for yourself and Isami-kun" Ayame stared flabbergasted at the box of leftover Hunter's Chicken Stew packed into a plastic bag beside her bag of frozen whole dressed chicken. He was packing food for her to take home?

" _Si._ It's for you. Don't worry about us. Make sure you eat it when you get home" Takumi-kun smiled at her.

"You always know how to take care of me, Takumi-kun" she giggled into her hand.

"Of course! You are my girlfriend. I have a responsibility" he said proudly.

Ayame waved goodbye to Isami and he waved back enthusiastically. Takumi-kun helped her carry her stuff and they both walked out, into the elevator and out into the streets of Minamikawase. They walked down the street towards the bus station, enjoying the sunshine and the fresh smell of last night's rain. Takumi-kun insisted he take the bus with her all the way to her home and Ayame could do nothing to make him change his mind because he was taking this boyfriend business very seriously.

"Ayame… did I d-disturb you during the n-night or anything?" he asked nervously.

Ayame blushed. Well, not in the night… and she wouldn't call it disturbing per say…

"Umm… How do you mean?"

Takumi-kun was blushing like mad. "L-Like, do anything i-inappropriate in my sleep, like touch you accidentally and th-things? It's ok, you can tell me, if I was in the wrong!" he blushed deeply.

"Not at all. I slept really well and I woke up feeling really good too" she smiled and weaved her free hand hands into his free hand as they sat on the bus. He seemed to sigh in relief. He looked up from his lap and gazed into her eyes. It was the same look of adoration he had just before she fell asleep and it made her heart feel so warm. Just for this time, she'll keep their little morning _risqué_ incident in bed a secret only for her to enjoy and dream about.

She leaned up and kissed him.

* * *

Etsuya rubbed the dust from his eyes. This place was too filthy for the likes of him. It's been almost twenty days since he was thrown into the _ryuchijo_ in Tokyo, otherwise known as the detention centre for holding suspects until they were charged or cleared. His anger had simmered down to a resenting seething. They had confiscated all his belongings including his phone, his wallet, his necklace, clothes, everything he had on him except his glasses and just gave him prison-issued uniforms. It was a sickly orange jumpsuit. If out on the streets, he wouldn't be caught dead in that colour. He wasn't allowed bail at all, which was not surprising because bail was uncommon in Japan. Etsuya thought about the events which lead to this moment. The moment he was just lying on the prison-issued _futon_ listening to the clicking and whirring of the battered, old ceiling fan. It spun lazily above him barely contributing to the air movement.

When he was rudely awoken during the night by Nakiri's aide he was preparing a speech to let her have a piece of his mind as to why he should be dragged out from his dormitory bed during the ungodly hours. But upon the sight of the Superintendent General of the TMPD, he knew he was fucked. To make matters worse the infamous officer had the most arrogant and nasty grin on his face.

Etsuya groaned. "Can I get some water in here?" he drawled from his position on the floor. The warden outside didn't respond at all and he could only hear his footsteps moving away, clacking on the linoleum flooring.

Etsuya was absolutely livid as soon as the Superintendent General took out a pair of handcuffs. How insulting! Insider trading? What was the big deal? Millions of civilians with no business acumen had no idea that people like himself, private institutions, business investors, bankers, CEOs, financial companies, were the ones who kept the economy afloat because insider trading was committed every single day. Monitoring for insider trading in Japan was a joke. That was the thing about Japan. The government try to emulate the West and it only ended up in short-comings. It never went exactly the way they wanted Why? Because the East and the West were at completely different mindsets. Every Japanese knew that making a profit with whatever knowledge you have and attained was just pure common sense. It didn't matter where and how you learnt it. If he was an adult in 1988, he would totally have fought against the law introduced to combat insider trading in Japan. As if they could put a piece of legislation against that. Also, punishment for insider trading was literally laughable. If they wanted to make a big deal about it and were actually serious about combatting this so called "crime", the least they could do was make the punishment _hurt_. Compared to the West, the biggest worry offenders like him look forward to were just a lousy fine and a slap on the wrist. The fine was probably less than the profits he made anyway. Thus no-one was scared to do it. The most anyone got was jail-time that was reserved for the most egregious cases. But it was the reputation he had built that he cared for most. In Japan, saving face was a heavily weighed value, whether one liked it or not.

Etsuya frowned. Where the hell was his water?

He had to admit that the Superintendent General himself picking him up in handcuffs in the flesh was shocking. Etsuya knew he should be at least honoured that the head of the TMPD had graciously spared his time from his busy schedule of overseeing take-downs if _bouryokudan,_ or violent organised crime syndicates, destroying narcotic rings and murder investigations or something like that, just to visit little old _Tootsuki_ tucked away in Western Tokyo. But he wasn't. He wanted to spit in his face but held back as soon as he caught a glimpse of that famous red _katana_ secured by his hip.

When they had reached the TMPD headquarters in Central Tokyo, he expected to be given the usual drivel like the list of charges he was arrested for, having the right to remain silent, the right to have his own lawyer at his own expense or shit like that, but there wasn't a single word from the Superintendent General except for 'keep your mouth shut' and 'you won't be needing a fucking lawyer once I'm through with you'. The famous _katana-_ wielding policeman wasn't famous for his decorum or waxing poetry. Aside from his blade, he was famous for having the strangest but most formidable team on the force and they were mainly comprised of internationals. Obviously Etsuya couldn't understand why he would choose his top force to be non-Japanese nationals to entrust the security of the Japanese people. But if the chairman of the National Police Safety Commission and the Prime Minister allowed it, then so be it.

He was questioned for only forty-five minutes. Etsuya remembered it very clearly. It wasn't the type of session where they made threats, cursed, spat and tried to scare him with cheap tricks like slamming their fists on the table to get him to make a confession tape. They were quite amiable. They were like him. They were smooth talkers. Therefore, he had to be very careful about what he said. He could tell it wasn't any normal session. They tried to lull him into a false sense of security to get him to make a formal confession, to make it easy for everyone and save him the pain and humiliation of putting himself through to trial. But he wouldn't fall for it, he had too much street-smarts for that. They walked him through step by step in their investigation on how they ended up coming to arrest him. It all made sense and the puzzle pieces fitted together properly.

Except some of the pieces were forced to fit. Forced by the one lie he was forced to agree to. He had to lie about where he got the non-public information to make those insider trades. So whatever theories the police generated on how he obtained them, leading to his arrest, he could not confess to them nor refute them even though they were false.

Etsuya remembered grinding his teeth and one of the Superintendent General's subordinates, the platinum blonde one with the facial scar, cocked his head as if he caught on to something. Etsuya was about to tell them about that stupid _information broker_ he was introduced to and had been consistently buying information from. If he did, the whole case could have been shifted to focus on that fucker instead of him!

He had a promise to keep and that was to leave the information broker out of it. That slimy bastard he met in Shinjuku made it very clear that if Etsuya was ever caught, which he promised he never would, no mention of him will be made. Of course, why should Etsuya keep that promise and what would stop him from using _his name_ as leverage? He remembered the man only spun on his wheelie chair in his penthouse office and smirked that evil smirk of his. He had _other information_ that could destroy Tootsuki, his consultation business, his clients, his family, his numerous bank accounts and make sure that Etsuya would never be able to rebuild himself again.

 _Blackmail._

Of course when Etsuya scoffed and demanded proof for such wild claims, that information broker only grinned and sighed saying he couldn't be bothered going down to his information vaults for it. He would just have to take his word for it. Could Etsuya make that gamble? He couldn't. He had too much at stake. Therefore, he made no mention of the information broker with whom he often communicated with through prepaid phones he bought and destroyed after use. Those subordinates released him back into his detention cell, but there were knowing looks on their faces too and that unsettled Etsuya greatly. It was as if they could see through him. Like they were testing him with their elaborate theories on how he obtained his information. If that was true, then he was fucking pissed about it. He hated being toyed with. If he could somehow hint them towards that information broker without tracing it back to him, then _fan-fucking-tastic._

"You have a visitor, Eizan-san" said the warden.

"Where's my water?" he replied.

"You've got a tap in your cell" said the warden.

Etsuya clucked his tongue. For fuck's sake. The jangling of keys and locks being noisily slid open made him sit up from his _futon._ The easiest way to not be man-handled too much by these mother-fuckers was to just cooperate. Etsuya was lead down the corridor towards the private room. A few people had visited him in the past week. Some Tootsuki officials, Isshiki, and his lawyer, that was it. Surprisingly Isshiki was the most helpful. Etsuya was roughly shoved into the private room at the end of the corridor and the door was slammed shut with the warden still as a statue standing guard outside. Etsuya took off his glasses and wiped it with his prison-issued uniform.

"Well, well, well. I'm surprised they allowed you to keep hair gel or something. Your hair looks smashing as always"

Etsuya felt the veins in his temple about to explode and whipped his head around.

" _You… what are you doing here?"_ he growled.

He looked just as smug and conceited as ever. The perfectly punch-able face of the information broker from Shinjuku. He sat on the plastic chair like his own throne, with his feet neatly crossed on top of the table with pure disregard. His hands were stuffed in his thrift-shop jacket pockets. Who the hell still walks around with a fur-lined jacket in fucking summer like that? The information broker's rust-coloured eyes were teasing him like they always did. The same look that said _'I know something you don't know'_. His coal-black hair was still short, the right length and the right style to perfectly disappear into a crowd and no one would look twice. But he was good-looking enough to disarm anyone he talked to if they didn't know who he was beforehand. Those kinds of people were dangerous. Whenever this information broker was around on the streets, there was always some sort of conflict happening, which was what Etsuya came to learn a few times when he was in Shinjuku or other surrounding districts. The more information he bought from him and the more advice he took from him, the closer he was to putting his number on his business mobile. _That_ was indeed dangerous.

"Paying a good client a visit" he drawled.

Etsuya slammed his palm on the table, making the warden outside turn his head before resuming his duties to stand guard. The information broker remained unfazed.

"You promised me that I would never get caught" he said. Etsuya 's vision was flooded red. He refused to sit down. Not for this slimy snake.

"Well, you did follow all my advice and used my information well enough. You didn't get caught for three years which was something at least. But you must know there are some hiccups along the way in your line of work. Promises are so… _dependent on the situation_. If the circumstances aren't the same anymore. They are subjected to change" he said nonchalantly.

"You could've warned me…"

"You didn't put that in the contract" he grinned deviously.

If they weren't in this stupid place, he would've decked him like he should have a long time ago.

"I don't understand…" said Etsuya, finding his inner anchor before he tore the desk apart.

"You should put that on a T-shirt" cackled the information broker.

"My back-channelling was completely invisible, I made sure my schedules for impromptu meetings with my clients were clean, my lines and connections were secure, I used proxies all the fucking time and yet the police were able to pin everything back to me and my clients. Why the fuck is that?" said Etsuya.

"I applaud you for that Eizan-kun, I really do. But you know, as crime gets more sophisticated, so does the police's method for uncovering them. It's a symbiotic relationship. Like I said, there can be hiccups and it's just unlucky you weren't careful enough" he continued grinning.

Etsuya narrowed his eyes. That was a fucking lie. Hiccups could be predicted, hiccups could be avoided and Etsuya was always on-guard and literally paid the prick for information from within competitive companies to make the most profitable gains which obviously had to be without being caught by authorities. That was how insider trading fucking worked.

"I'm sorry, you're in jail Eizan-kun. I really am. But you pay me to supply information. I'm not responsible for what you do with it. You're not my only client you know. Others might come looking for the same information and all I do is sell it. So when you look at it, leaked information tend to leak faster and it always leaves a messy wet trail when given to rich and greedy people with minds like a sieve" the information broker flicked his hands about, like flicking water after washing them under a running tap. "Which by the way, I wasn't referring to you. Your mind is like a steel trap!"

"You still haven't told me why you're _really_ here" said Etsuya, as calmly as possible.

"Didn't I? Whoops, didn't mean to be rude then. _I'm here to make sure you don't breathe a word of my name or who I am to the police"_ he uncrossed his legs and leapt back onto his feet, his hands were back in his pockets. His smirk split his face wider, showing his gleaming teeth and crinkling his slanted eyes.

"Oh yeah? Promises are dependent on the situation you say? Well my situation has certainly changed, don't you think? It's starting to look like a really good option right now, bringing you down with me. Looks like you left your own messy wet trail, punk." smirked Etsuya.

"Hahaha! You're so funny. Your pathetic _yakuza_ face makes it more hilarious. I wouldn't do that if I were you because everybody who's on the ship goes down. Tootsuki, your clients, _your family…_ "

"My family has nothing to do with my business"

"Hmmm… _not yet._ I don't know about your family on the top of my head. But I don't need to because I can retrieve that information very easily".

"Ha! I still have yet to see this make-believe bargaining chip you keep waving in front of my face. If you get caught too, the police are going to raid your information vaults for everything you've got, lock you up like a motherfucker and toss out the key. People like you have a lot of enemies. I bet they would pay to see that" Etsuya spat at him triumphantly. The information broker had underestimated him. Etsuya didn't build his success on pure luck. He had scraped his way using only his wit and ruthless business sense to build an empire on his business and sucked in other culinary empires to use his service. Enemies were made everywhere; he knew when someone was bluffing.

"Man! This is like watching stand-up comedy! I'm freaking gutted that you haven't figured it all out by now"

"You think this is fucking amusing!?" he yelled, not caring that bits of his saliva hit the table, because he was pissed beyond belief.

The pasty skin bastard flopped back down on the plastic chair with an exaggerated sigh. He leaned back and took out his hand, his thick silver ring gleaming in what little light was surrounded by the shadows. He folded his arm across his stomach and propped up the other on it and placed his fingers over his chin as he looked at Etsuya up and down like he was just a specimen on display at the museum.

"You take my words too literal. I have no _actual_ vaults, not in any of my offices at least. My information vaults are all in _here"_ he tapped his temple.

 _"They are my mind palace"_.

" _What?"_ Eizan screwed his brows in confusion.

"It's how you store information so you never forget it. By picturing it" he chuckled without remorse. He closed his eyes, keeping his smirk plastered on his face. He spread his knees apart and placed his arms gently on the arms of the chair. It was like he went into a meditative state.

"Let me show you how it works. This is where I go to when I want to retrieve my information" he said calmly with his eyes remained closed. "I just sit. I close my eyes and I go down, down, down into my vaults, _my memories"_ the information broker hummed a childish tune and clack his heels against the linoleum floor, imitating the sound of walking around. "I can go anywhere inside my vaults. I pick the cabinet where the files I want are. They are always there". He chuckled sickeningly. He raised his arms lightly up to shoulder height and grasped onto the empty air. He pulled his hands towards him and stretched it out again. He wriggled his fingers through the air, like flicking through files in an invisible cabinet drawer.

His eyes were still closed and his cunning smile ever present.

This was getting to some creepy shit for Etsuya.

"I look into the files on Eizan Tonohara… oh this one's a goody" he chuckled louder. "Your brother has been such a bad boy…" he laid his hands, palms faced up, like there was an invisible Manilla folder in his hold. He raised his right hand and flipped over an invisible page, giggling to himself as if he was reading something smutty. "This one's my favourite… robbing a liquor store in anime character masks? That's just classic! Oh! Oh! There are some other juicier crimes he had committed!" the information broker's clenched his eyes tighter to suppress an obvious belly laugh.

"Ohh… now it gets darker. The stuff he wasn't caught for…" he continued to languidly turn the invisible pages in his hand. "Sexual assault eh? Tsk, tsk, tsk. He was just a kid then, didn't know what he was doing. Such a foul crime for such a young boy to commit. Awww. Lucky he got away right?"

" _Stop it…"_

"Let's go back to the recorded stuff. What about when his next parole for hit-and-run is, shall we?" the information broker continued to flip through the invisible files in his hands. Files no one could see, _but him._

" _STOP IT!"_

Etsuya roared. The warden outside didn't budge. The information broker slowly opened his eyes, his rust coloured hues almost gleamed red like the devil's blood.

"As you can see, I know everything about your family. Things only you and I currently know. Things that can crumble them into dust. I have you on a leash _Eizan-kun_ like a pet ferret. You have probably realised now, you have been depending on me for a long time, ever since you stepped into my office in Shinjuku as a first year student."

Etsuya struggled to keep his breath steady, his nails dug into his skin, his pulse was erratic and his thinking was clouded by immeasurable fury.

"I… still don't understand…" Etsuya was getting really pissed at the constant display of bullshit.

"Aaaaannd there's the back of the shirt" the information broker snickered.

Etsuya was getting sick of being tugged and manipulated.

"Knowledge is everything, see. _Knowledge is owning_. No one knows it better, than the one being _owned_ " giggled the information broker. "I don't keep electronic files of my buying and selling information. They could be hacked. Nor do I keep hard-copies, because they could be stolen. It's all in here" he tapped his head.

"So you don't have any hard, solid documents then…" said Etsuya.

"Rarely, I send out for something only when I really need it, but otherwise I just remember it all" he shrugged.

Etsuya looked up into his conniving, slanted eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. Then you don't have anything to back up what you say. You have no proof!"

"The newspapers don't need proof to print. They exist just to deliver stories. They don't care about proof and evidence the way the police do. They are a _lucrative_ business. They want information, scandals and stories that just _sell_. One call to _The_ _Japan Times_ and Tootsuki is done for, half the food industry of Japan is done for, your family is done for"

" _You wouldn't…"_ Etsuya seethed.

"I've done it before, Eizan-kun" he said casually, checking the dirt under his fingernails like a school girl, short of having a nail file.

"Another thing I want to mention. Can't help myself! Your mother in Karakura Hospital"

Etsuya sucked in a shaky breath.

"How's her chemotherapy doing? Holding up? No… I didn't think so. Enough about that, I heard there's a new drug to treat throat cancer called _Ostacosin_. Ohhh… I see you've heard of it, given by your facial expression. It's already finished its phase two clinical trial and almost about to receive FDA approval in The States, and will soon be distributed. I heard it's got really great results! That pharmaceutical research company are thinking of doing a phase three trial overseas and Japan is the most likely candidate due to our stringent quality control. It makes for good marketing and is cheaper. Wouldn't it be even _greater_ if it gets approval from the Japanese government to do clinical trials in Japan? I think its eligibility criteria also includes stage two cancer patients, like your mum. She could apply to be a trial participant for one of the biggest medical breakthroughs in the world and be cured!"

Etsuya 's fists shook. How _dare_ he bring his family into this! There were bits and pieces in that information Etsuya knew to be true because he researched it himself. But he didn't know about the phase three trial planning to be conducted in Japan. At least if everything went well…

"Or~ wouldn't it be really terrible if that pharmaceutical research company in the US got themselves bankrupt, or the grant money gets funneled elsewhere and they no longer have the capacity, finance nor the approval to conduct a third trial in Japan or distribute this new wonder drug after the phase two trial. That way, the drug never gets out to even make it to international waters and the Japanese health department services will never get their hands on it. All I need to do is leave the odd document I type up lying around and whisper in the right ears, small-talk in the right channels to tempt people into making _bad decisions_. Am I right?"

Etsuya collapsed onto the chair.

"All of that could be avoided if you. Never. Mention. _Me_ " the manipulative bastard cackled.

Etsuya felt drained, not just fatigue, but also his willpower. He was literally played by this motherfucker. How could he have been so blind! Now he had nothing else to protect his school and his family except to throw himself to the wolves to cover for the slimy information broker. He spoke like he'd done this a million times, so full of confidence, cheek and disrespect. This information broker had no respect for other people and enjoyed seeing them squirm helplessly at the bottom of a barrel of shit. The way his rust-coloured eyes mocked him with every word that cut into Etsuya was sickening.

"Have you heard of a man named _Nakamura Azami?_ No? Hmmm… Tootsuki must have really tried very hard to erase everything on their records. Anyway, he goes by _Nakiri_ now. But there is no such thing as being 'completely gone'. There are ways to dig that up and I'm sure your friends will be smart enough to figure it all out. I took a stroll down into my _mind palace_ , information vaults, whatever you want to call it before I came here. He's done some _wicked_ things for Tootsuki, not just you, which I'm sure will make an enormous bonfire on its reputation. He's quite a vengeful man, I must admit. He gave me a call yesterday asking if I could extract some information for him"

Etsuya 's mind stumbled. _'Nakiri?!'_

"I wonder if I should…?" he sighed and threw his head back.

"Why don't you then… " snarled Etsuya.

"I could, but it will too easy and the fun stops. I'm letting you have this little piece of information on the house"

" _Why would you do such a thing?"_ asked Etsuya.

"I want to see what you do with it. See if you could save your precious school from inside your little cell. I can change my mind whenever I like and sell Nakiri Azami the information he needs. So you remember that. The police are going to ask for the public prosecutor for another ten-day extension on your case and my spider-senses tell me they're about to uncover something bigger than you, because Eizan-kun, you're nothing but a pawn in the big, green, economic world. Doesn't it feel better to actually know that? Probably not." The information broker got up from his seat and spread his arms out.

He crossed over the other side of the metal table. Etsuya clenched his fists painfully on his knees. Unmoving, trapped like an Egyptian mummy tightly embalmed by layers and layers of suffocating bandages.

" _You piece of shit…"_ he managed to spit out in an enraged whisper.

"Human beings are weak, selfish, malleable, ductile and pliable. Like soft, wet mud. Their reactions are so interesting and unpredictable, especially when you put them in such chaotic situations, they have no choice but to bend to the laws of the victor or fight back like the evolutionary animals they are. That's why humans make such good television fodder. Humans are capable of great generosity, kindness, selflessness and love. Best of all, humans are the only creatures in the world that kill for pleasure, deceive for pleasure, physically, emotionally and mentally torture for pleasure and that makes them abhorrently _beautiful"_

The information broker's shoes echoed around the room as he stopped just short of the metal door.

" _That's why I love them"_ he snickered.

The last thing Etsuya heard before the blood roared in his ears was the deafening boom of the metal door slamming shut behind him, and the continued clacking of the information broker's shoes on the linoleum as he melted back into the shadows. The cold and lonely silence choked him slowly and painfully.

* * *

 **Well shit... Eizan.**

 **Takumi and Ayame is about to enter a whole new territory! Looks like he's stealing kisses wherever he can. Isami is really in love with his Bianca~**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter! I enjoyed writing it very much. I actually feel my heart beat fast as I did haha.**

 **Thank you for all the support, you guys have been really lovely! See you sometime soon!**

 **Signing off**

 **-Tripwire**


	17. Indulging in the Next Step

_Chapter 17 – Indulging in the Next Step_

* * *

Takumi couldn't fathom how Shiomi-sensei decided she wanted to be a lecturer at Tootsuki for so many years. Of course she was the leading specialist for researching spices, in particular, finding ingenious ways to cultivate and store exotic spices that were not grown on Japanese soil. She was the youngest lecturer in Tootsuki. However, being highly specialised in an area like spices is great and all, but actually knowing how to _educate_ was a different skill altogether. She was like a little peanut inside a whale's stomach. She needed a stepping stool to help her reach the top of the blackboard otherwise everyone had to squint at her writing on the bottom half of the board. She had to speak louder because she was so tiny and her voice was too soft. She was full of stutters, and every now and again, she'll fly off the trajectory and would burst into a long winded sonata about her love for spices. It kind of made it a bit tricky for him to follow her train of thought and understand absolutely everything she was talking about, so he was going to have to fully rely on whatever he managed to take down in his notebook. The blonde Italian wondered if she had a teaching degree alongside with her specialist area. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't. It kind of reminded him of the way Ayame would rattle on about the difference between Chinese and Japanese bullet trains, which he had learned was called her 'techno-babbling'.

"And that concludes today's class!"

Takumi sighed. It was the last seminar of the day and most students were already slumping in exhaustion from their first official day back in class, especially Hayama. He looked like he already knew everything on the material like the back of his hand, and rightly so. He probably couldn't wait to leave class to get on with anything else he had to do. Takumi and Isami had some recipes they wanted to try out and so promptly booked Kitchen twenty-five for a solid two-hours to finish off their day. He stretched his arms up high and pulled at his tie. He was starting to feel a bit tight around the neck and wanted to loosen it to get some air action happening around there. A collective mass of sighs whispered through the air and made him cringe. His fan club… he should've known. They were still alive and well.

Today's spice seminar was about the history of spices during the Middle Age period. It was a fascinating topic, but hardly practical to him. Takumi had an affinity for more practical classes where he could get his hand dirty in actively learning, practicing, trying out new skills and improving them. He belonged in the kitchen, not in a classroom. He had no real love for academic subjects which he deemed more useful for people who wanted to do research rather than set up and work in their own restaurant, but he could appreciate to some degree the necessity for theoretical knowledge. Therefore, he and Isami still maintained some dedication for learning the theoretical side of cooking up to an appropriate standard.

"I-I know this is only your first official day back! Umm… I have the first assignment ready f-for everyone. Your assignment is to create an original recipe fit for royalty using the ingredients and showcasing only the spices used during the Middle-Ages of a country of your choice!"

Takumi scribbled down Shiomi-sensei's instructions before she started rambling on about something else and distracted him.

"You need to write up a two-thousand-word c-critical evaluation of your recipe covering what you learnt from your research and how it applies to your dish. You also need to write a five-hundred-word reflective piece discussing your decision making process as you create your recipe"

' _Ok, that doesn't sound too bad…'_ Takumi focused on her slowing fading voice as she struggled to project her voice across the lecture hall.

"Oh! Also your r-recipe needs to be peer-reviewed and your peer needs to write a two-hundred-word opinion piece on your recipe! Ummm… Uh… It's due in five weeks!" the little professor managed to tack on the due date before she lost her breath.

Takumi sighed and placed down his pen.

"Once you s-submit your recipe, I will be testing them out m-myself. Therefore, your writing skill needs to be precise and specific. I will follow your recipe exactly how you write it. If the product comes out unsuccessful because you forgot a step, or your instructions are too vague, then you only have yourself to blame!" she said.

Everyone groaned. Goodness. That was a lot in an assignment. That was going to be a mammoth accomplishment for her if she was seriously planning on marking and cooking recipe submitted by about two hundred student chefs. Takumi finished off highlighting the key words in his notebook so he didn't forget the important parts. He was going to need to dive into a head start on this assignment.

"Class is dismissed!" yelled Shiomi-sensei.

The students began clamouring lazily to pack their things away. The buzz of conversation took over and brought a welcomed relief that the day was finally done. Takumi finished packing his things into his book-bag and got up from the bench, having another big stretch but being careful not to hit his brother on the other side of him.

" _I love it when his tie hangs loose!"_

' _Urghh…'_ Takumi hastily fastened his tie again. He will just have to endure the heat.

"Seriously, who would've thought second year was actually going to be this boring" Yukihira yawned beside him and slumped over the writing bench. He wore his uniform in the same sloppy manner, his black coat summer school uniform was unbuttoned to reveal his usual wrinkled black diner shirt and his red hair was tousled like he only managed to wake up from a nap in the last minute. He still sat with his legs crossed beneath him like a temple monk. Yukihira lacked complete style.

Takumi shook his head in exasperation "Didn't you read the second year handbook? It clearly says that this year will take a more academic approach. But it will still have practical classes of course"

"I just skimmed it. No wonder why I haven't seen Isshiiki-senpai do much last year when he was still a second year student. Hopefully things will pick up again in third year" he smiled.

First year as he remembered it was intense and filled with competitions, training camps and practical classes with a sprinkle of academic classes. In second year, they were going to be more academically challenged, with fewer practical classes, but Takumi knew not to under-estimate that, because he was sure the practical classes will be a lot more advanced too. He could only imagine what third year will be like, but that was still a year away.

"Hmm… essays aren't my thing. I don't know why Shiomi-sensei is putting emphasis on the written component. But I'm confident the recipe I come up with will be all that matters!" exclaimed Yukihira.

Takumi smirked "Just because we attend a vocational school, it doesn't mean it's ok for us to be illiterate you know, but I agree the recipe itself will score the most points. So make sure you don't slack-"

"Hey Nakiri! I Gotta ask ya something!"

Takumi bristled as that red-headed devil totally cut him off! He felt a fire brew in his belly at his insolence. He watched, dumb-struck, at Yukihira's disappearing back as he ran over to Nakiri Erina. She looked like she was trying to hurry away before she would be forced into a conversation with her arch-nemesis. He couldn't stand it when the attention on him was redirected elsewhere for a pathetic reason like calling out for Nakiri Erina, which was something Yukihira was doing too frequently. He had something important to say, damn it!

"Calm down _Fratello._ As long as Yukihira-kun shares your sentiment, that's all that matters" said Isami from behind him.

"Yukihira… I will crush you for this! This will be the last time you ignore me…" Takumi muttered darkly under his breath.

He barely listened to Isami's attempt to prod his anger away, his voice was muffled by is mounting annoyance for his life-long rival. His competitive nature simmered quietly as it goaded Takumi to make another official _shokugeki_ challenge to Yukihira so that he couldn't escape the next time. He was brought out of his brooding thoughts when his brother patted him firmly on the shoulder, instantly releasing him from his abysmal thoughts. Takumi released a sigh and finally calmed down, and straightened his blazer too. He ran his hand through his blonde tresses and recomposed himself.

' _I won't let him get to me'_

The Aldini brothers weaved through the students as they made it outside and into the corridor. Now it was teeming with more students cheering for the first day of class being finished. However, jammed in the middle of the corridor was Yukihira and Nakiri Erina who was holding up the traffic, forcing everyone to squeeze through around them. How inconsiderate. Whatever they were talking about was getting the tenth seater all flustered and snappy and he was still the smirking, happy-go-lucky scamp he was.

"Stop asking me about the Elite Ten seats! Those vacant positions need to be reviewed before we could look at appropriate candidates and right now we have more important things to take care of!" she yelled at him.

"Like how to bust Eizan-senpai out of jail?" asked Yukihira casually. Takumi wanted to slap him over his thick head.

"S-shut up! You can't talk about these things so openly! Do you want to get expelled or something?!" she hissed back violently, her violet eyes were ablaze with grating fury. Takumi didn't think she could get any angrier but clearly he was wrong.

"Nope, but isn't that exactly what _you_ want?" he asked cheekily as he tapped his chin.

"Of c-course I d-do!" she spluttered.

"Try saying it with a little more conviction" the red-head quirked his eyebrow at her.

Nakiri's mouth opened and closed without a single sound in utter indignation. Her face was quickly reddening and her fingers trembled as she closed her arms in front of her as if she couldn't decide if she wanted to strangle him or shield her body in defence. She was obviously having a mental fit. Meanwhile Yukihira was sporting a cheeky smile as if to say he had won and was waiting patiently for Nakiri to give him another verbal thrashing, as he was clearly enjoying watching her squirm.

"Hey, you're blocking the corridor…" muttered Takumi, pinning his eyes on Yukihira and the Nakiri princess. As much as it was entertaining to watch a well-known _tsundere_ dig her own grave, he and Isami really needed to be elsewhere.

"Oh, sorry mate. You were saying something before, Takumi. What was it again?" asked Yukihira, only now taking notice of the Aldini brothers.

"Piss off"

"Now, now _Fratello._ Yukihira-kun doesn't often know what he's done wrong by you. Just take it easy"

"You piss off too, Isami"

Isami's relaxed face didn't change in the slightest, just chuckling lightly as he scratched his head. He'd always been the more placid and calm one out of the two brothers, while Takumi was quicker to temper... especially over a lost card game. Isami was made of sterner stuff than one might think, and Takumi knew he, himself, always needed a gentle hand to keep him thinking straight. The two brothers completed each other like two _mezzalune_ forming a _lunapiena_ or 'full-moon'. That was why he and Isami had no qualms swearing at each other on some occasions. It wasn't like their relationship was so delicate that a few harsh words would break them apart forever more. Takumi shrugged his book bag higher up his shoulder as he pushed his rival out of the way. It was his turn to snub Yukihira! Ha! He will learn to take his own medicine. Takumi threw his head back with all his dignity and strutted confidently away from them. He could hear Yukihira calling out his name but he kept going anyway.

' _Yes, call my name and watch as I ignore you back!'_

He could hear his brother's footsteps catch up and walk abreast with him. Takumi didn't break his pace as they turned the corner.

"I wonder what Ayame-chan would say if she knew you are sulking and throwing a tantrum because of Yukihira" cooed Isami.

"She would totally be on my side" bit out Takumi.

"I doubt that" chuckled Isami.

Speaking of Ayame, she started her classes today as well. They've been regularly texting each other good mornings and good nights every single day. It brought smiles to his face and made his heart flutter. They were very much aware that they'd be spending less time with other because of school, but they were both adamant to always be there for each other whenever they could in the time they had to spare. Unfortunately, he now had a rather heavy and time-consuming assignment thrusted on him _on the first official day_ and he doubted he could hang out with her as much as he had hoped now. He was also sure she'll be getting pop quizzes, essays and exams too. Ayame made it very clear that she had already set her priorities for school and Takumi was more than happy to accommodate her needs.

Takumi interpreted accommodating her needs as running over to make her dinner whenever it sounded like she was most likely to pass out from hunger because _Cristo_ knows her father was hardly there. He also made sure to sternly tell her that it was super-important for her to relax, take it easy and rest her mind from her school work, otherwise she will burn out before the second half of semester. He hated to admit it, but at least Namikaze knew how to have a good time, even if it was too much according to his _bella._ Perhaps she could still provide Ayame that support. Not too much support of course! Because a boyfriend such as he could still be jealous if his girl's bestie was taking over the _'going-out department'_. Takumi had urged Ayame to make him her first point of call if she needed a break from school things. Ayame had a tendency for being completely focused on what she set her mind on and totally ignore everything else, such as eating. Takumi felt it was his responsibility as a boyfriend-chef to bring her back from the brink of starvation and push her robots, alarm clocks, toasters, anything mechanical in nature, far away, and sit her down for a good home-cooked meal. Ayame wasn't absent minded on purpose though and Takumi would always be happy to give her delicious reminders to just eat and enjoy life as it was as well.

"Ah! I'm so glad I caught you in time! This is for you Takumi-senpai"

Takumi and Isami spun around at the sound of a high-pitched and out of breath voice. A short and porky boy with a bob cut sucked in mouthfuls of breath as he skidded to a stop in front of the brothers. He was definitely a middle school, given by his young and fresh looking face who had yet to experience the terrors of Tootsuki's High School division. He handed Takumi a slip from his sweaty hand and Takumi thanked him cautiously.

It was a note from Isshiiki-senpai.

"What does it say?" asked Isami, perplexed, over his shoulder.

It said that he was needed in Isshiiki's office A-S-A-P. Takumi had no idea why because it wasn't stated in the note. Was he in trouble for anything? Not likely. Takumi looked up ready to ask the middle school messenger if Isshiiki-senpai mentioned anything else, but the boy had already scampered somewhere else. Last time he was in an Elite Ten office, it was Nakiri's and was because of his rescue mission for café _Cioccolatini_. That was a happy occasion. He had a suspicion deep in his gut that this wasn't going to be happy this time.

"Ah, go on ahead to Kitchen twenty-five, Isami. I'll catch up soon"

" _Certo"_ Isami replied.

Takumi waved him good bye and made his way down the corridor towards the Elite Ten Council Wing.

* * *

"Glad that you could make it Aldini-kun" said the ever benevolent Isshiki-senpai.

Once again it was a strange sight to see the seventh seater in school uniform mostly because for one thing, Takumi was used to seeing him in a _fundoshi_ and an apron whenever he visited Polar Star Dorm. That's how he knew everything was 'normal' with the residents of Polar Star as funny as it sounded. The other thing was if Isshiki-senpai was dressed in formal clothing, it meant something important or drastic was happening, so much that he needed to put on a fresh uniform. Since this was still school hours, then it should be absolutely fine for Isshiki-senpai to wear his school uniform, but Takumi couldn't help feel a twist in his stomach and anxiety creep in open seeing it.

"Please come in" Isshiki-senpai ushered him in.

"What is this about?" he asked. This was really strange. Takumi walked in and was welcomed by two strange people.

They were dressed in black.

The first was a tall red-haired man in a crisp black suit with a white dress shirt. Takumi noticed he was Caucasian straight away by his pale complexion. His scarlet-gingery locks were more vibrant than Yukihira's darker shade. It was a bit longer than the conventional length, but was swept back in a professional manner. He was a handsome man who possessed intelligent looking green eyes. Eyes that were very observant by the way he quickly scanned Takumi as soon as he entered the room. He was tall and well-built, with his suit just barely fitting across his chest and shoulders. Most strange was that he wore a medical eye patch over his right eye and there was a single but small hoop earring on the opposite earlobe glinting in the light. He gave him a friendly, laid-back smile and a small, casual wave. His solitary eye crinkled softly as he did so, appearing to be very at ease. His other hand was in his trouser pockets with only his thumb sticking out as he leaned, almost perched, on Isshiki-senpai's large desk. Takumi gulped. No matter how friendly this man looked, there was something more to that smile and it made Takumi feel on edge. And there was nothing more nail-biting than meeting a person who was damn near impossible to read.

"How are you Aldini-kun? My name is Chief Inspector Shoseki and this is Special Detective Rii. We are from TMPD. Please take a seat"

Takumi approached the plush velvet chair in front of Isshiki-senpai's desk and cautiously sat down. His neck began to sweat as nerves took hold of him. He narrowed his eyes at the two police officers in front of him in confusion. He placed his book bag by his feet and folded his hands onto his lap, being extremely aware that these two stood on each side of the large office desk, surrounding him on both sides. This was more serious than he thought. Despite the ray of sunshine Isshiki-senpai was and the real one coming from the window, the room suddenly felt a bit… grim.

He nodded slowly as he stared at the man and woman in front of him. The red-headed man who greeted him spoke in perfect Japanese and had a higher voice than Takumi expected. Takumi was thrown off by a Caucasian man with a Japanese name, but he held it together and chastised himself to being momentarily close-minded. He was half Japanese, half _Italiano_ with both a Japanese first name and a _lingua Italiana_ surname for goodness sakes. The Chief Inspector deftly pulled out a leather card holder from his inside jacket pocket and flipped it open to him. Takumi noted the badge was indeed TMPD, however the _Kanji_ script for his name was not actually _Shoseki_ like he called himself, which was supposed to mean 'Books'. But rather it was read as _Bookseller_ or _Book_ _publisher_ or _Bookman_ , something along those lines. Japanese wasn't Takumi's first language, but he was sure there was something not right there between the name he introduced himself as, and what was actually written next to his police badge. Before he could question him about it, he flipped it closed and pocketed it again. Chief Inspector Shoseki, or whatever his name really was, resumed gracing him with that same enigmatic smile.

The woman introduced as Special Detective Rii showed him her own police badge too. He noticed that her name was written in the _katakana_ script which was exclusively reserved for foreign words or foreign names, suggesting she was not entirely Japanese. She was still oriental in appearance and wore a similar attire to him. Instead of a pencil skirt, which he was so accustomed to seeing Japanese women wearing, she wore a set of pants suit, a white blouse tucked into her pants and a black suit jacket. She was tall and very pretty. She had minimal make-up, enough to be professional. She looked quite lithe and carried herself with a good posture. She had fair skin and shiny and straight chin length hair. Her smile was soft and seemed a lot more genuine than Chief Inspector Shoseki's.

"We're here to ask you a few questions about a case we're working on. Are you familiar with Eizan Etsuya?" asked Special Detective Rii.

"Y-Yes ma'am" he said. His voice came out croakier than he intended.

Of course he knew what happened to Eizan-senpai. How could he not? To his understanding, he was arrested before the start of the school semester for some sort of illegal money business. Takumi was surprised when he heard the news from Tadokoro-san when he and Isami visited the Polar Star dorms one evening. Then again, he couldn't come up with anything he could say to defend Eizan-senpai even if his life depended on it. Takumi wasn't trusting of his upperclassman. Truth be told, the way he tried to interfere and derail Takumi during last year's Autumn's Election by pitching him up against someone disgraceful as Mimasaka meant he was forever stamped as the villain in his book. He still wondered, what information could the police possibly want from him? If they were still investigating, then that meant Eizan-senpai wasn't behind bars for good. Were they here to get information to prove him guilty? Or prove him innocent?

"We need you to be as truthful as you can. Just relax, you're not in immediate trouble" said Special Detective Rii.

"If I may interject Special Detective. If possible, I'd like to be present during the questioning, if that's ok?" Isshiiki-senpai stepped forward and plastered on a polite smile. From the corner of his eye he gave Takumi a reassuring glance.

"As you like" Chief Inspector Shoseki shrugged his shoulders.

"Have you ever spoken to Eizan-san or shared a conversation with him on any occasion?" resumed special detective Rii.

"No I haven't. I've only known him as my _senpai"_ he replied.

"As you may have been informed, he was arrested two weeks ago on the grounds of insider trading for various food companies. We are going to ask you questions pertaining to his arrest. Have you ever known him to behave in any way that was unethical in this academy?" she asked.

Takumi paused. Just when he was reminiscing about his battle with Mimasaka, they questioned him about the circumstances surrounding that.

"Umm… Eizan-senpai was involved in choosing students to participate in our annual cooking competition called the Autumn Elections last year. He was accused of placing bias on certain candidates and pairing them up unfairly to achieve a… uh… fixed outcome" Takumi tried to phrase it as objectively as possible. He had learnt that Eizan wanted to send in a lackey to destroy him in the quater-finals to pave the way to defeat Yukihira in the semi-finals, however his plan was thwarted by the maverick chef's unbelievable ad-lib techniques in the end. The female police officer nodded as she jotted down what he said, whereas the other police officer just regarded him cooly.

"Was this issue addressed?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am" Isshiiki-senpai interjected again before the blonde Italian could say anything "Eizan-san was reprimanded forth with once it was brought to our attention and the board of directors dealt him the proper punishment promptly"

She looked up a bit surprise and graced him with a polite smile while the other one just chuckled. Did he find something funny?

"Thank you Isshiiki-san. Aldini-san, have you ever seen Eizan-san alone with anyone who was not a student on the academy grounds?"

"Only with lecturers, or academy officials" replied Takumi.

"I see. In any case, have you ever seen this man, anywhere on campus grounds or nearby the vicinity?"

Chief Inspector Shoseki placed an open manilla folder on the desk. Inside was a few bits of paperwork and a paper-clipped picture of a man amongst a busy street. He was standing next to a stop sign by a trendy looking café. The people around him were slightly blurred as their rushed movements wasn't captured well by the camera, however his image was clear enough for Takumi to see the details with no difficulty. He was holding a phone to his ear, a flip phone that was similar to his own. He seemed to be listening rather than speaking in his photo and whatever he had heard on the phone warranted him to smirk so arrogantly. He was a sort of a good-looking man with short black hair and reddish-brown eyes, but not trustworthy looking in the least with that sort of cocky and devious grin. He wore a dark jacket lined with grey coloured fur on the collar and the cuffs. The fur might've been white a long time ago and had probably aged into a greyish shade from constant use or infrequent washing. He was dressed rather darkly and plainly, ubiquitous. If Takumi had ever seen him on the busy streets or around Karakura town, he wouldn't have looked twice.

"No, I've never seen him before" said Takumi, leaning back away and examining the two police officers. Special Detective Rii glanced at Chief Inspector Shoseki and he just nodded to her. Takumi could've sworn he was only there to read body language to catch him out or something because he could always feel his eyes on him, never straying away at anything else while Special Detective Rii asked all the questions.

"His name is Orihara Izaya. He is an underground information broker based in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. We believe Eizan-san was a client of his, purchasing confidential information regarding other companies through unethical means to make unfair purchases on stocks and shares ahead of the game" said Special Detective Rii.

' _Cristo… I thought Eizan was more of a lone wolf type of guy'_

"If this man ever approaches you or contacts you in the future, or if you've ever seen him around here. Make sure to contact us immediately" the female officer closed the file and slid it under her arms.

"But why would he approach me?" Takumi quickly spoke up.

"We are asking that of anyone who is associated with Eizan-san. We don't believe Orihara would have a reason to, we're just taking precautionary measures" she smiled at him reassuringly. What she said was _not_ reassuring. Takumi felt paranoia creep in. He wasn't going to sleep well at night with the prospect of being contacted by an illegal underground criminal, no matter how infinitesimal the chance.

"Here is my card. If you have any further information that could be of use to us, please don't hesitate to call me on this number" she handed him her work business card. It was the standard business card, only with the TMPD insignia. Her full name was Rii Rinari.

"Welp, we're done for the day. Thank you Aldini-kun for your time. Thanks for having us Isshiki-kun. We'll be in contact again if there's any further development" said Chief Inspector Shoseki.

He pushed himself off the table and went over to shake the seventh-seaters hand and Special Detective Rii did the same. Takumi got up and bowed to them. He watched as they exited the room, walking in a controlled and brisk pace. The way they walked definitely told them they were trained in combat. It was similar to the way Ayame's father walked. Or maybe all police officers walked like that.

"I don't think there is anything for us to be worried about, Aldini-kun. Tootsuki has given Eizan-kun the best lawyer we have. Hopefully, he will have a speedy trial and whatever the verdict will be, it will be exactly what Eizan-kun deserves" said Isshiki-senpai, as if reading his thoughts.

"Do you think he'd really do this, Isshiki-senpai?" asked Takumi.

"I don't know. If he did, I'm not entirely convinced he did this solely out of selfish or greedy reasons. Eizan-kun is not as black and white as he seems. But like I said, whatever the verdict, it will be as he deserves" he sighed.

Takumi thought that was well said. Isshiki-senpai was a fair individual and was probably the most decent one out of the Elite Ten. A small part of Takumi hoped that Eizan stayed in jail a little longer so that Tootsuki didn't have to endure any of his match-fixing crap. If Isami was with him in this room right now, he would pull him up by the ear just for ill-wishing thoughts against someone. But he wasn't here, so Takumi could mentally curse Eizan all he wanted.

"I have some paper work to catch up on now. Discussing with those two had taken a rather large chunk of my time. Run a long now!" said the seventh seater.

Isshiki-senpai hurriedly pushed Takumi out the room as soon as he grabbed his book-bag and before he knew it was standing outside a firmly shut door. That was really strange of Isshiki-senpai, but the blonde Italian decided not to think any more of it. He wondered if Isami was still in Kitchen twenty-five. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. There was still forty-five minutes left on their booked time. He could fit in one recipe to try out today before the two of them head home. There was a text message from Ayame. Takumi breathed a sigh of relief and opened it up.

' _Hi Takumi-kun,_

 _Just finished school. I had to stay back late as  
I'm on library duty this week. Are you busy?  
I thought we could grab a bite later :)_

 _-Ayame_

Takumi chuckled. Well, he will have time only after he and Isami were ready to leave Kitchen twenty-five, but he doubted Ayame would be able to wait that long. He sent back an apology message to his _bella_ saying that he unfortunately didn't have time this afternoon. Instead he offered to bring her the food he planned to make in Kitchen twenty-five over for dinner instead if she'd like. Ayame sent back a picture of herself looking extremely excited and hopeful. Takumi laughed. Even in silly pictures, she looked beautiful. He made sure to save the image to his phone. Cooking for his _bella_ will never get old.

* * *

It was now evening and Arato Hisako's secretarial duties were almost over. Except for one little thing...

If she had her way, she'd be back in her dorm room working on her assignment from Shiomi-sensei right now. But since she was a special student bestowed with important secretarial roles for an important Elite Ten member, on top of normal classes then it was expected of her to still be working way past school hours.

Hisako knocked on the door of the IT department of Tootsuki. That was correct. Tootsuki Culinary Academy had an Information Technology Department. It was a tiny one, consisting of only three personnel's. The academy had computers for their staff, the students research rooms, in the library and the Elite Ten offices, so of course they had to have a server room in the basement complete with their own IT staff. She'd rather call it the IT room because 'department' sounded too grand for three people. Hisako used to spend a lot of time in this section before she became Erina-sama's personal assistant. Being with Erina-sama was the best thing that ever happened to her! To finally officially be able to serve her mistress in any way possible was a dream come true. Her father had always told her as a child that she would be Erina-sama's right hand woman when she was ready. In the meantime, before she entered middle school, she was trained in any sort of managerial tasks ranging from secretarial to computers at a very young age in conjunction with her medicinal cooking training, all for the sake of helping to carry her mistress's burdens. All of that certainly came in handy for both Erina-sama as well as her _stagiare_ last year with Yukihira.

"Hello? Is anyone still around?" she called out.

The room was empty. They had all gone home, but it looked like they forgot to lock up. How careless! She was hoping there might be the odd person still around but there wasn't. She remembered she had left some papers on one of the desks when she made a trip down there this morning, but had completely forgotten them until now. She will never, ever divulge this piece of imperfection to Erina-sama! She did not wish to leave on another journey for self-improvement again. Once was enough. The rosette haired student weaved through the messy desks and found the one she was looking for.

' _Ah there it is!'_

She scooped up her papers and was about to leave when the phone on the desk suddenly rang.

 _Brrrrrrrrrrrrr, brrrrrrrrrrrrrr, brrrrrrrrrrrrr_

Hisako stopped in her tracks and turned back around. How odd. Who could be ringing at this hour? She momentarily contemplated just leaving the IT room and whoever was calling could just call back the next day, but that would be extremely impolite of her. Then again, this wasn't her problem or anything…

 _Brrrrrrrrrrrr, brrrrrrrrrrrrrr, brrrrrrrrrrrrr_

But the OCD demon in her couldn't stand letting the phone ring unanswered! Hisako hung her head in resignation. She went back and picked up the receiver.

"Good evening, sorry but IT is clos—"

" _Oh my goodness! Thank god someone is still here! The admin lady told me to ring this number instead—"_

"Slow down! Sorry, I didn't catch a single word you said" said Hisako.

" _S-Sorry about that. My name is a Sekito_ _and I work in the Sh-Shokugeki Administration Bureau. I'm new and I totally forgot my account p-password and I don't have my new work laptop with me because I'm still traveling right now before I officially start. I really need access to my account because President K-Kageura needs me to log in immediately and review my details, so could you please help me out?"_

Hisako mentally sighed. This man on the other side instantly reminded her of the male version of Professor Shiomi. Stuttering and stammering for being horribly forgetful. The sheer desperation in the voice of this new employee was almost comical to her because they never wanted to start off on the wrong foot in a new job. Hisako could somewhat sympathise with Sekito-san. His voice shook from absolute relief that he was finally receiving help so late in the evening.

"Well… if you really need help right this instant. I suppose I could be of some assistance…" Hisako said hesitantly. She never liked turning down an opportunity to help someone, especially if it required a technical skill she was trained in, whether it be cooking or administration type work. She checked the time again and it was almost seven o'clock. She didn't have anything else that was urgent as she already took care of Erina-sama's most important schedules for the next week.

" _A thousand thanks! You're a life saver!"_

"Ok. Just visit the Tootsuki staff's Learning Management System website and I can issue you a password reset to your Tootsuki-email" said Hisako. She might as well sit down, and so chose the wheelie chair beside her. She booted up the computer and logged into the desktop with her own account so that she could be of assistance to Sekito-san's password reset.

" _Oh sure! Yeah, I know how to get there… Umm… it's not working? Why isn't it working? It says the website is not found… Oh my god! Why isn't it working for me?!"_ Sekito-san yelled on the other side.

"Calm down Sekito-san. Just double check that you've typed in the URL correctly" said Hisako.

" _Hmm… it's lagging a bit I think. It's taking so long after I refresh it. I'm sure I typed it correctly…"_ he sighed on the other side.

Hisako put on her business persona and tried to help the new employee into accessing the password reset form on the website she had given to him. She really wasn't supposed to be doing this since she wasn't any of the IT staff, just a student, but since she had the means to help, then why not? Twenty minutes in with lots of back and forth on the phone, and she concluded that this man was so technologically inept, he probably shouldn't be allowed to use a computer at all! Hisako realised that she was already in too deep and there was no way for her to back out, not with Sekito-san singing his grateful thanks to her and apologising like no tomorrow for being such a nuisance. Hisako felt sorry for him too much to abandon him right now.

' _I shouldn't have turned around. I should've just him call back tomorrow…This isn't even my job!'_

Hisako grunted in frustration. She might as well get this over and done with.

"Ok Sekito-san, I know that you're having some issues with the website you're at. So listen to me carefully. Go to your browser and go to the _top_ of the browser, do you see that bar up there? Ok, click it. Click it. You got it? Now go to your keyboard and type in the following. Are you listening? H-T-T-P-S- Don't forget the 'S' Sekito-san! It stands for 'secure'. Forward slash, forward slash, make sure the slashes are facing forward… ok… colon. Do you know what the colon is? It's the two dots on your keyboard. Do you see it? Ok, type that in. Now, W-W-W dot…"

Hisako spent the next five minutes spelling out the URL letter by letter, and back pedaling when he asked her to slow down, as if he was a four-year old. He didn't sound like he belonged to the older generation who were less familiar with computers and stuff. In fact, he sounded like he was in his mid or late twenties which was strange for someone to be this bad with computers.

" _Argghhh… It's not showing up and I typed it out exactly as you said it. I'm so sorry!"_

Hisako wanted to slam her head onto the table. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"You know what, that's ok. Let me do it from here and I'll reset your password over the phone"

" _Thank you so much!"_ now he sounded like he was going to weep with joy.

Hisako conjured up the Tootsuki staff Learning Management System website on her screen and proceeded to type in Sekito-san's account name as he told her over the phone. He had spent a ridiculous amount of time to just 'find the piece of paper he had written it on' before she could type it in. Tootsuki adopted the account name formula where it included the student's or staff's surname and a few numbers after it, so she didn't know how he needed to actually write it down to remember. When she finally got up to the password reset form, she needed a TFA, or two-factor authentication.

"Sekito-san, do you have your TFA-Token?" she asked.

" _What's that?"_

"It's an app on your smartphone that allows you to authorise a user log-in with two types of information. It should have been issued to you as well. First is the user ID, which I have here, and the second is a one-time-only password that the app will generate for you. Right now, you only need the one-time-only password. Do you have that?" asked Hisako as calmly as possible. Of course, he was abysmal at computers, so what chance did he have with knowing what a TFA or Two-Factor Authentication token was?

" _Oh yeah! I remember it now! Oh dear… about that… I accidentally erased my smart phone while I was traveling and I don't have that TFA token app thingy installed on my phone anymore…"_

' _Well of course he'd do something like that…'_ she thought.

"That's ok Sekito-san, let me see what I can do for you…"

Hisako bit the inside of her cheek mulled over the possible solutions in her head. Sekito-san didn't have the TFA token app on his phone therefore she couldn't do a password reset for him, because that required her to put in the TFA token generated password after the newly reset password. She had an idea. Hisako instructed the helpless Sekito-san to re-install the app and set it up all over again. She issued him a four-day TFA token to him and he was expressing how eternally grateful he was to her. It brought a smile to her face. She would hate to be in his position so she tried to be as understanding as possible. Once it was all done, she got the one-time-generated password and reset the password for him and gave him further instructions over the phone. Hopefully this time, he wouldn't bungle it and spend another hour helping him out for another technical problem. Soon everything fell into place and Sekito-san was on the right track again.

" _Yes! Oh my god, I finally logged in. Here we go... I can get to all the information I need now. Thank you so much young Miss. You've been MOST helpful"_

"Not at all Sekito-san, remember to keep your password safe. Goodbye" she replied happily.

Once she hung up, the rosette-haired chef slumped into the wheelie chair, logged off her special secretary account on the computer and shut it down. That was enough of an adventure for this evening. She was glad she still remembered how to do these sorts of things. She was sure Erina-sama would be very impressed with her skills. It wasn't like she wished Erina-sama to forget her password for her student account so that she could show more of her technological secretarial skills to her. Hisako got up and made sure to not leave behind her papers on the desk again and proceeded to turn off all the lights and closed the door. She didn't have the keys to the IT room, so she just left it unlocked. Hisako had a skip in her step. She loved feeling useful, especially to Erina-sama, but for others who needed help, it was a good feeling too.

She hoped the new Tootsuki employee, Sekito-san, will keep his new password safe. She'd hate it if all that time went to waste and he lost access to Tootsuki's internal networks again.

* * *

 **I'm re-assessing my story and its trajectory in the little time I have between updates. There are some things I still need to iron out regarding the quality of my content and prose.** **I got the general impression from some readers that my subplot and/or change of scenes are confusing or perhaps distracting. I apologise for being too vague or unspecific if that's the problem. I'll fix that. I'm trying my best to highlight every angle of Takumi/Ayame's blossoming relationship and simultaneously be inclusive of our core Food Wars characters, and Ayame's friends' without making them ornamental. I completely understand if you guys had preferred me to keep a more simplistic and wholesome story-line about Takumi/Ayame. I'm sorry, if I've let you down.**

 **I will do my absolute best to change and edit things to make this a smoother and more enjoyable story for everyone :)**

 **I mentioned this to a reviewer the other day. I'm considering a Kuchiyose x Alice prequel story or a Chizuru side story in the future, but I'm anxious about how well that will go down. Thoughts?**

 **Thanks for sticking around this long with Takumi, Ayame and I!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	18. New Memories & Painful Memories

_Chapter 18 – New Memories & Painful Memories_

* * *

"I'm sorry, I promise not to do it again…"

"That's okay. Just try to call me _before_ I've figured out you've starved yourself again. On a Friday no less! _Ehi!_ Don't do that. You'll burn yourself" Takumi-kun chastised her as he swatted her hand away from the pan. Ayame retracted back from her failed to dip her finger into the irresistible creamy sauce Takumi-kun was making to taste.

She hoped he wasn't annoyed with her.

Ayame wandered back to her seat in the kitchen bench pondering about when he would finish whipping up his _fettuccine_. She bent over and rested her head in her elbows. She gingerly peeped through her fringe, watching amazed at how her boyfriend could so easily toss the _fettuccine_ in the pan full of cream and sundried-tomato sauce with one hand over and over until the pasta was coated evenly. He must have super-strong wrists because she, herself, needed to hold an empty pan with two hands just to carry it from destination A to B. She almost felt bad for cornering him into doing this. She honestly didn't mean to! He'd already visited her twice this week since semester began. The first time, which was four days ago, he had brought over some Italian-Mexican fusion _enchiladas_ he called Aldini-style _enchiladas_ for dinner. She was tempted to make a comment about the naming choice, but held her tongue. He was apologetic that he couldn't make it that afternoon for an after school snack around Karakura honchou with her because he was busy with Isami-kun practicing different recipes in one of those study-kitchens. She was totally fine with that, getting a bite to eat after school was just a passing thought. She remembered she'd made sure to send a selfie to let him know that everything was okay. She knew Takumi-kun was bound to feel bad for turning down an opportunity to hang out with each other. She was more than understanding and he needed to know that he didn't have to fret about anything. They each had their priorities.

Ayame thought it was cute he wanted to name everything he made 'Aldini-style'. Aldini-style seared scallops, Aldini-style barbeque duck, Aldini-style black bean soup with poached eggs, she could make a list the size of her arm! However, she thought there could still be some improvement in the naming department no matter how cute it was. When he came over for dinner with that bag of delicious Italian-Mexican _enchiladas_ that evening, she noticed there was something weighing heavily in his heart and she couldn't quite put a finger on it. He looked spaced out and slightly distracted. Totally unlike himself. She thought it was maybe the stress of second year Tootsuki life, but that didn't seem to be it. Every now and again while he was eating with her, he would pick at his food and look at her and look away again with furrowed eyebrows. Then the small talk would begin and nothing was the matter. When she asked if there was something wrong, he paused, as if deciding if he should tell her what was bothering him. But he only smiled and said it was nothing and was sorry for making her worry, thus the small talk would resume.

In the second visit, he was doing it again.

Now, it was the third visit of the week and he was doing the same thing again.

Ayame's anxiety mounted higher and higher.

"Takumi-kun, I know you're stressing about something. What is it? I want to help" she crept behind him whilst he was still tossing the _fettuccine_ in the pan on the stove.

"N-Nothing. Nothing's going on" he said hastily, with an over-exaggerated laughter in his voice.

Ayame inhaled the smell of the tangy sundried-tomatoes infused into his cream sauce. It lingered on the back of her tongue and she couldn't wait to get her fork into it. Even when he was distracted whilst cooking on auto-pilot, his food never failed to over-whet her appetite and be less than perfect. Such mastery he possessed must've become second nature. He's delicious cooking wasn't going to distract her from what's important though.

"I worry anyway…" she pressed her face into his back as she clutched at his shirt. She breathed in the cedar scent she loved that belonged solely to him. Her muscles relaxed and she concentrated on his warmth, comforting her face. She could stay like this with him forever if she wasn't so hungry.

"Has your f-father been home lately?" asked Takumi-kun, his voice reverberating through his back to her cheek.

That was a random question.

"Umm… No, he's been busy. Why?"

Takumi-kun sighed heavily and turned off the stove. He gestured for her to hand over the dinner plates so that he could dish out the _fettuccine_. Ayame's worry escalated. There was no way Takumi-kun would ask something so casual about _Otou-san_. Was Takumi-kun feeling anxious about _Otou-san?_ Was he feeling anxious about him all this time? Was this why he'd been distracted the past week? Was he still fearful of him? Was the prospect of _Otou-san_ too much for him?! Oh no… maybe he was having second thoughts about his relationship with her because of _Otou-san!_ Ayame took the filled plates from him wordlessly and laid it out onto the dinner table with the drinks. Her hands shook as she poured the ice tea and they couldn't stop shaking until she had to forcibly put them down before Takumi-kun noticed. Maybe making dinner for her a few nights a week was a set up to break the news that Takumi-kun wanted to break up with her! Whilst the blonde Italian found and placed a lid onto the pan to cover the left over _fettuccine_ , Ayame ran around to grab the cutlery and the tissue box.

"AYA!"

She felt the air knock out of her and her world spun until she collided into a firm chest. It was Takumi-kun. He had whisked her around the middle and pulled her off the floor and into his body in a blink of an eye. Her head continued to spin from the sudden whiplash and she could only stare in shock into his face, silently seeking an explanation.

"I think I'm the one needing to worry. You just grabbed the chopsticks instead of the forks" he chuckled and pried the chopsticks from her grip and swapping them for forks from the cutlery drawer.

' _Urgh… I'm worse than usual…'_

Ayame pursed her lips in frustration at her total disregard for her surroundings as Takumi-kun took her hand and lead her to the dinner table. His bright, comforting smile and his warm blue eyes melted away some of her anxiety, but it was still present. Maybe she was being silly about everything. Silly. She was being silly again. That was it. She didn't do very well with things not based on logic, like feelings and emotions but she was a great deal better at it than Chizuru-chan. He pulled her chair out for her to Ayame's embarrassment and she quickly took her seat as he slid it forward with a quiet _'thank you'_. They quickly settled into having their dinner. Ayame enjoyed the thick and delicate creaminess. The _fettuccine_ was cooked _al dente_ , which was synonymous to perfection in the pasta world, but she would have enjoyed it better if she didn't have the nagging, nervous feeling pulling at her navel.

Meanwhile Takumi expertly twirled the pasta with his fork. "Some police officers visited Tootsuki in the beginning of this week. They wanted to ask some questions about a case they've been working on. For some reason they-".

Ayame stiffened

' _Crap! It's true! Otou-san is too much for him to handle!_

Takumi-kun's voice began to muffle as her thoughts wildly swirled into dark waters. This was why she never chose to date all her time in middle school and first year high school. Not that she had much of a chance anyway. If regular school boys first avoided talking to her because of her nerdy side, then they should have known they had a better reason to avoid her. Every male nerd who even looked her way always got her hopes up, and then finally they found out about _Otou-san_. His title was more than enough to send them running for the hills with their tails tucked. Then she would spiral back down into despair with Chizuru-chan to comfort her and declare to her how worthless those boys were in the first place. Those kind and cheerful greetings from her male admirers gradually became forced ones, and eventually she was avoided completely. It didn't help when _Okaa-san_ forced him to go to a parent-teacher meeting one time and pretty much everyone gave them a wide birth. He was supposed to be off-duty and he still carried around his stupid _katana!_ Soon dating became even less of an interest. Until one day Takumi-kun asked her about it in polite conversation, rekindling her curiosity...

Who would have thought she did date one day, to him of all people! She should really be counting herself lucky that she managed to keep Takumi-kun for this long. How long had they been with each other now? A few months she would say. A few very blessed months. Since the beginning of summer holidays she remembered. Perhaps Takumi-kun was starting to crack. When he was distracted those last few visits for dinner, watching and trying to read his thoughts was like trying to scratch an itch she couldn't find. It was excruciating.

"Ayame?... Ayame?"

"Huh?"

"You spaced out. Are you ok?" Takumi-kun placed his fork down and pushed his half-finished plate to the side, tilting his head to the side at her in question.

"Umm… Yes, yes of course" She forced a smile and twirled some of his creamy _fettucine_ with her fork and ate it up. "I'm sorry, you were saying..?" she asked between chews.

"I just asked if your father knows Chief Inspector Shoseki and Special Detective Rii" he said.

Goodness! Had he? She didn't even hear his questions, or probably everything else before that. Her mind must've been in overdrive to the point she filtered out Takumi-kun while being totally engrossed with her thoughts. Ayame quickly backtracked. Oh yes, he was talking about a set of police officers visiting Tootsuki for. Everything else after that was static noise. Takumi-kun leaned back against his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. He had long taken off his Aldini apron and folded it away with his school blazer in his book-bag over by the sofa. That left him in only his school button-up and his tie. His tie was pulled loose and the first few buttons were undone. Ayame loved to see more of that. He looked quite… steamy. He continued to tilt his head at an angle, looking at her closely. Ayame felt the need to wipe her lips with tissue and run her tongue across her teeth, to make sure nothing was stuck. She felt a bit fidgety under his intense stare. Those ice blue eyes made her shiver.

Those names sounded familiar.

"He _would_ know them of course. I don't think I've met his colleagues before, but every high ranking officer or detective comes in direct contact with _Otou-san._ He oversees every case assigned to them on top of his other duties with running TMPD" she said.

Ayame's thoughts wavered again. This had better not be _Otou-san_ being petty and trying to create unnecessary ruckus by wasting tax payer's money and sending officers down to scare the living daylights out of Takumi-kun. He was going to get it, if that's exactly what's happening! Takumi-kun glanced down at the table and then ruffled his hair while he descended back into deep thought. Ayame quirked her brow at his odd behaviour.

"So this means he's completely in the loop with Eizan-senpai's case… for some time now"

"Uh… What are you talking about? What case?" Ayame spluttered.

"I just told you. That an upperclassman from our school was arrested" he said. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. He reached out and prodded her with a teasing smile, catching her out for not paying attention.

' _Well… staring at your precarious clothing doesn't help…'_

" _Otou-san_ doesn't talk about work at home. He believes it's bad to mix business with home-life and all that sort of thing" said Ayame prodding him back. Now that she thought about it, sending officers to tamper with Takumi-kun _was_ mixing business with home-life… if that's what he was really doing…

Takumi-kun sipped his ice-tea. A small smile played across his lips and he started chuckling lightly to himself at an inside joke. Did she miss something?

"I'm relieved" he shook his head and smiled at her.

Ayame couldn't help smiling too and she didn't even know what she was smiling about. There was nothing to smile about! She was sure she had an idiotic smile where her brows were dipped in confusion as well and the corner of her mouths were pulled awkwardly.

"Relieved about what?" she asked as she continued eating her _fettuccine_ to the last strand of pasta _._

The creaminess of the sauce and the beautiful balance between the acidity and fruity sweetness of the sundried-tomatoes were addicting. She pointed at his half-finished plate, silently asking if she could have his too since he wasn't touching it anymore. Takumi-kun got up and set his plate before her and took her empty one away to the kitchen sink. He returned with the whole pan! He placed it to the side of the dining table on top of some potholders so it didn't burn the table. The aroma of the still warm, creamy sundried-tomato _fettuccine_ danced through her nostrils. Ayame smiled brightly at him and he smiled back. Her boyfriend certainly knew how to take care of her.

"I'm relieved that he hasn't done anything to split us apart… yet. Eizan-senpai was arrested _way_ before the semester started. I was worried that your father wouldn't want you being associated with me anymore because, you know… my school is caught up in his arrest" said Takumi-kun, resuming his seat and topping up their drinks as she scooped more _fettucine_ onto his plate, which was now hers. He looked a bit flushed in that moment, probably because it had taken him a great deal of courage to talk about this.

Ayame listened carefully this time and went through a whole new revelation.

"Was that the reason why you seemed bothered all week? I thought it was because you were starting to get put off by me because of _Otou-san_ or something~!" Ayame sighed dramatically and threw her head back against the back rest.

"Eh!? Don't say that! What gave you that idea? Why on Earth would I be put off?" spluttered Takumi-kun

He coughed on his ice tea and quickly wiped his mouth with his tissue. He reached forward and grasped her free hand tightly in his, stroking his thumb over her knuckles. His warm and larger hands calmed her down significantly. His eyes were wide with urgency.

"He was being all s-scary, intimidating and s-swearing a lot on our first date when you arrived, trying to frighten you away before we could even l-leave the house. And then when we came back from Ikebukuro, he was there again, trying to s-scare you away once more… I was just worried that you were starting t-to _change your mind…_ when you mentioned the police being at Tootsuki"

Ayame stared down at their intertwined fingers, a lump forming in her throat. She virtually threw up her thoughts and was sure it wasn't making a whole lot of sense. She wasn't usually this over-emotional and she cursed herself for being so right now, but the threat of their relationship being potentially in danger before it could really begin was gnawing at her stomach. Salty tears stung her eyes. She didn't want to lose Takumi-kun because _Otou-san_ was a huge pain in the arse. There was nothing that could change _Otou-san_. A burst of laughter made her look up in shock. Takumi-kun pulled back his hands and placed them over his stomach and mouth as he tried to hold back another bout of laughter. Ayame could only blink dumbly at what the hell brought this on. He continued to chuckle until he had to wipe tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Oh _mio caro_. There is nothing on this Earth that would ever stop my love for you. Your father is a man trying to be a _good_ father. He's only been sizing me up and testing to see if I'm worthy enough for his only, beloved daughter. But I admit that I was very concerned that he would want to stop me seeing you, because of this case. But it looks like I can still come and go to your home for dinner as long as you will have me" said Takumi-kun.

He got up and picked up the empty plate and the almost finished pan of _fettuccine_ and went back into the kitchen.

What?

What?

What?

Ayame sat like a vegetable in her seat. Her mouth agape like she was about to ask a question but rethinking.

' _Takumi-kun… isn't… scared of Otou-san?'_

Brimming exaltation flooding her body and it felt like the angels were singing holy hymns to her. She felt stupid for ever doubting him. There were so many surprises when it came to her magical chef. It wasn't that he was scared of _Otou-san_ in the way that she thought, he was scared of _losing_ her because _Otou-san_. That was the single most important difference! Also he used the word ' _love'_ just like that! It was clear that Takumi-kun was very unique from those other school boys and she wondered if it had anything to do with his Italian upbringing. So casually, and so ordinarily he dropped the 'L' world. They had never once said _'I love you'_ to each other, only _'I like you'_ when he confessed to her on that fateful day. Her face flushed red at the idea of the handsome and talented half-Italian actually _loving her_. Did she love him back? She thought so. She must have, because she had never felt such happiness in all her life upon hearing those words from his beautiful lips. It surpassed the absolute joy she felt when winning the killer-robot competition. It surpassed the glee she felt when she finished her programming workshop at Toudai. It even surpassed the absolute delight she felt from his eloquent confession on that fateful day. He talked about his 'his love for her'! The tingling in her heart spread to the rest of her body as she sat numbly on her seat feeling fuzzy and warm.

Takumi-kun began washing their dishes and placing them on the drying rack as if padding around the kitchen was natural to him. Like it was his kitchen too. Ayame stared at his back, at the strong muscles of his shoulders as he scrubbed the dishes to absolute perfection.

Ayame got up.

"Do you love me?" she asked.

He turned around as if she had asked a very impertinent question.

"Uh-uh… Umm… W-What?" he stammered, his face fast turning red.

 _"Do you love me?"_

She approached him fast and stood toe to toe as he frantically wiped his hands with the dish cloth. He braced his hands on the sink behind him as she pressed her face closer to his. She wanted to analyse every single iota of his micro-expressions from every strands of muscle fibres in his blue irises to every quiver of his lips.

"O-Of course I-I d-do—Mmmph?!"

That was all she needed to hear.

Ayame pulled him down by his school dress shirt collar, smacking their lips together just short of clashing their teeth. She moved her lips against in earnest, relying on her instincts with all the passion in her body. She kissed him like her life depended on it. She tasted the same _fettuccine_ , the basil and hints of _yuzu_ from his tongue and lips and it drove her mad. She drank him in, unrelenting as Takumi-kun floundered his hands and feet about like an octopus, not knowing what to do. He soon calmed down and kissed her back with equal enthusiasm, wrapping his arm around her and the other clutched the back of her head, holding her close. She felt him urge her to be gentler by taking the helm as he guided her lips into a sensuous dance. He tilted his lips, coaxing her to do so too as he deepened their kiss. Her body sang from the soft tingles he bestowed on her. He stroked her spine soothingly and parted a hairs breadth away. Ayame couldn't bear to be away from him for too long and pulled his face back down to another searing kiss, making sure she was taking back control instead of he. Takumi-kun relinquished his hold on her and pushed back a bit with effort, but still sought to hold her hands. Both their chests heaved up and down, gasping for breath from their sudden burst of romantic need. Ayame's knees buckled from the look in his stormy blue eyes, brewing with some unnamed emotion that made her lips go dry and her chest tighten with anticipation.

"Wh-What, brought… uh… th-this on?" he asked breathlessly, sweeping her hair sticking to her face to the side.

"B-because I love you too?" she replied, almost a whisper.

Takumi-kun groaned and plunked his forehead onto her shoulder. He yanked her forward once more until her body was flushed against his. Ayame ran her fingers through his golden hair, breathing him in feeling utterly relaxed and safe in his hold. Her body was still buzzing from adrenaline.

"Y-You make me want to do things… that no g-gentleman should…" his voice strained, muffled against her shoulder. It tickled her deliciously.

"L-Like what?"

"… Don't make me say it…" he groaned again.

Ayame's body felt hot all over. This moment reminded her of the time where she slept over at his apartment. The way he tried to exiled himself to the sofa to preserve her morality before dragging him back to his room. The way he somehow rolled her into his arms during the night. They way he was dreaming of something that would shock the both of them if he remembered and that dream manifested into the very thing she was sure were what he was talking about right now. He had whispered Italian nothings into her hair and kissed her bare skin in his sleep. He had unknowingly revealed his wanton needs and those 'ungentlemanly' things he wanted to do, but could not say. She wanted them too…

But she was frightened… he was too good to be true. Ayame gently, unraveled herself from him and pushed him back so that he was standing straight again. She looked up and there it was, that unadulterated passion in his clear blue eyes that made her soul weak for him.

"T-Takumi-kun… umm, I understand how you feel…" she said slowly and deliberately.

He blinked rapidly.

"You mean…?"

She nodded shyly.

In a blink of an eye Takumi-kun was a red blubbering mess. "A-Are you sure you're okay with that?! L-Like… L-Like, I d-don't want to push you into something you are u-uncomfortable with! I can take self-disciplining lessons to stop my indecent thoughts- _WAAH!"_

Ayame grabbed his hand and dragged him mercilessly out the kitchen, through the living room, up the stairs and into her bedroom. She had no idea what she was doing. There was no plan, there was no prior anthropological research and studies she looked up that could explain to her, her actions and feelings. She was just running on instinct and her rational and logical thinking were pushed off the proverbial cliff. Takumi-kun was barely resisting her pulling him along as he was yelling at her for an explanation. They tripped a few times up the stairs, but she didn't stop until she was in the safe haven of her bedroom with Takumi-kun.

Takumi-kun collapsed on his knees beside her bed and face planted onto her blanket, catching his breath with utter exhaustion. He rolled over onto his behind and sat on the floor with his knees pulled slightly up as he leaned against the side of her bed, in front of where her low Japanese table should have been. It looked sprinting after a full stomach wasn't the best idea.

"Ayame—Woah!"

She straddled him.

Takumi-kun had the most distressed looking face, but it slowly morphed into a half serious, half anxious one. Ayame stared into his eyes, thinking of what she wanted to say to him. When she couldn't think of one, she kissed him.

Takumi-kun instantly responded and moved his hands to her waist as she pressed herself to his chest. His grip tightened as he tried to kiss her harder as another side of him took over. He trailed his lips down to her ear until they were behind the shell of her ear. Ayame was sure her love for him was slowly but surely being replaced with a sudden, purposeful, lustful feeling she hadn't felt before. It was strong and burning, and had a hold of her totally. It felt _really good_. Better than the morning after she slept over his apartment. It seemed like Takumi-kun was over taken with the same feeling as he latched onto a patch of skin on her neck and placed hot open mouth kisses, making her sigh long and hard. Ayame slipped her fingers beneath his dress shirt, feeling the hot and taut skin beneath.

Takumi-kun let out a sharp hiss and his movements stilled and tightened considerably again. Her eyes turned bleary and her thoughts began to disintegrate into the more basic of her brain functions. His teeth anchored onto her neck. His heady scent mixed with his natural cedar smell and the _fettuccine_ they enjoyed together intoxicated her. Ayame pressed the side of her head against the side of his, feeling his building sweat mixing into his hair, intensifying his scent.

She felt something else too.

A swollen bulge in his trousers pressed up into the apex of her thighs. It awoken something in her and it clawed and screeched at her stomach, wanting to escape. She couldn't help it. She grounded herself against it. Takumi-kun threw his head back with a sharp gasp and immediately rolled himself into her, making her see stars. His fingers moved positions, until they were cradling her hips instead of her waist. Ayame whimpered, barely making out Takumi-kun's expression. His face was scrunched up and his mouth slightly opened as he gasped and sucked in his breath. His hair was stuck to his face with sweat and his tie and dress shirt were further disheveled, revealing a tanned expanse of skin from his collar and chest. Ayame couldn't help herself. She twisted her hips just so against his bulge again and she arched her back slightly from the foreign pleasure it brought her. Takumi-kun did the same, his groan coming out guttural and raspy.

" _D-Don't"_ he hissed from between his teeth.

Ayame's movement died down as she wiped her fringe away from her eyes. Her mind was too muddled to think clearly, but she could at least hear her boyfriend's words and couldn't for the life her understand: don't what?

"I c-can't hold myself back… if you k-keep doing this. Please, I don't want you to do something you'll regret…" he panted, his blue eyes boring into her own, beseeching. He lifted his hand to her face and caressed her cheek with shaking fingers.

"I l-love you so much" Ayame manage to choke out. It took her everything to say those three little words but important words, plus two more, before he did. She was brimming with it until she could burst, and somehow that meant she wanted to be even more intimate with Takumi-kun. _More_.

"And I, you, _mio amore"_ he pulled her forward flat against his chest and gave her a chaste kiss.

Ayame took advantage of the situation and rolled her hips against his.

 _"Aaauuh!_ " Takumi-kun was back to turning into a heated mess. His muscles tightened beneath her and she reveled in feeling his abdominal muscles pulling taut.

"I want this… J-Just as much as you do. I h-have nothing to regret" said Ayame. She pulled back, gazing at him. The bulge in his trousers swelled up larger, it was so hard and Ayame could feel it so sharply against her.

Takumi-kun shook his head from side to side desperately. "B-But I don't want to hurt you…" his eyes turned fearful, but it didn't lose the brewing desire behind them and as long as Ayame could still see that burning ardour in his eyes, she was convinced he wanted her just as much as she did for him.

"W-We can… start with umm… j-just this" She grounded herself suggestively against him again.

Panic rose within her but she tried to squelch it down, and she was sure she looked like the ripest tomato. She couldn't believe she was suggesting such as thing, but it was the only way to soothe the aching in her lower half. Takumi-kun also looked like he was in need of some release too. At least whatever they did, they would still have their clothes on. She realised even more that those loving looks, fleeting and causal touches, holding hands and hugging were positively dear to her and she loved it immensely. However, those public and private displays of affections wasn't going to cut it anymore when it came to the more… _intimate_ sides of things and she could tell Takumi-kun knew that too, no matter how much he fought his baser instincts to keep it under control in front of her.

Takumi-kun looked like he was caught between a tiger and a lion. Any decision he would make here and now looked like it would tear him to pieces. His breathing finally steadied and his eyes hardened. He reached up and raked his hair back so that it was out of the way from his eyes. Ayame unconsciously licked her lips and only knew what she was doing when his blue eyes flitted downwards to her mouth, to her embarrassment. She tried to look away from him and concentrate on the algebra pattern of her blankets behind him.

Takumi-kun's body shift behind her as he leaned up and away from the side of her bed so she slid down into his laps whilst still straddling him. His posture was a bit taller in their position and she had to look up slightly. If she thought he was handsome then, he was drop-dead gorgeous now, with his dress shirt and tie disheveled, his hair matted against his scalp and his ice blue bedroom eyes. He pressed his forehead against hers and breathed softly against her lips. His hands slid to her waist, tracing little 'Xs' on her back. Ayame shivered, her fingers slightly clenching on his rumpled school dress shirt. The temperature of the room had sky rocketed from their intensity and the humidity wouldn't let up. His voice came out lower and more restrained.

"If that is what you want… then please allow me to indulge the both of us"

* * *

Alice twirled around her bedroom. Life was brilliant, life was good! Her new stick blender arrived. It was the latest model from that Swiss company her father's research facility was in partnership with. It was so much better than the other brands. The RPM was a whopping 20,000! She was going to be pureeing things all over the place with this baby. But 'best quality' was 'best quality' and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Alice danced back to her dressing table, rocking her head to the beat of the newest single from her favourite pop idol. She flounced onto her chair and proceeded to pick out a pretty necklace to wear to the special meeting hosted by the Elite Ten this evening. She received a fancy envelope from Ryou-kun this afternoon after class and he had one addressed specifically for him too. Friday of the week! There was nothing like screwing one's plan for an evening session of invigorating yoga just to be summoned by the Elite Ten for god knows what. According to her trusty aide, a few others had received the fancy letter too. Not much was stated except that it was to an invitation to discuss some important matters about the Elite Ten seats.

If they were trying to be mysterious and subtle about it, it was a horrible job. Any idiot could tell this was obviously about deciding who will fulfill the vacant seats. Tsukasa-senpai, Kobayashi-senpai, Akanegakubo-senpai, Megishima-senpai and Saitou-senpai had graduated already, instantly turning them into the Ninetieth Generation alumni. That left five vacant seats. Oh hell yeah, it was about time. One of those seats had her name written all over it as soon as she had set eyes on it. She looked into the mirror and saw a Cheshire grin looking back at her. She saw a beautiful, confident, smart, talented and ambitious woman in the reflection. Yep, that's who she was. She was born into the Nakiri family; therefore she was born a winner. She wondered who else would have received this letter. She will find out soon. It was a weird time of the day, or evening, as it happened to have this meeting. Who on Earth was still doing school stuff as seven o'clock at night! Only the Japanese, she believed…

"Found you!"

She smirked and pulled out a necklace that her _forældr_ , or parents, had bought for her when they were still in _Danmark_. It was a tear drop, sapphire pendant and extremely expensive. Well, if she wasn't going to wear her chef's uniform to this meeting, at least she could still attend in another way in style. That would show Erina what a stick in the mud she was. Alice secured the stirling silver chain around her neck and centered the pendant against the top of her sternum. It was perfection. What about a pair of matching earrings too?!

If Alice was getting carried away, she didn't care.

She continued to rifle through her rosewood jewellery box to look for the perfect earrings to match. Through her digging, she accidentally dropped a soft, purple velvet pouch onto the floor.

' _Hmm… Maybe I should get Ryou-kun to sort out my jewellery too'_ she thought.

The silver haired Nakiri princess bent down to retrieve the soft velvet pouch from the plush carpet. She couldn't quite remember what was inside this one. She always kept her earrings inside separate pouches so they were always protected, but she honestly didn't remember this one.

"What have we got here?" she mumbled.

She loosened the lacing and tipped its contents out into her moisturised hand. Her heart stopped. It was a solitary diamond stud earring. Just one earring. She remembered this one now. She had given away the other one a long time ago.

 _She gave the other one to Byakko._

All of a sudden everything turned grey and dreary. Her happy world was suddenly drowned into a thick suffocating sadness. Her mouth felt dry and her tongue felt thick. A choking feeling seeped into her and her eyes began to sting. She remembered clearly now why she chose this colour for her velvet pouch specifically for this earring. It was similar to the colour of his hair. She remembered why she took it off and buried it underneath all the other velvet pouches containing her earrings, because she didn't want to look at it anymore until she could completely forget about it. She remembered which pairs of earring belonged to which pouch by heart and in her searching, she unearthed up the forgotten one containing not just the lone diamond stud, but all the blissful but now painful memories it contained.

She remembered when she gave it to him, she insisted that he should pierce his ears so that he looked cooler and that they could wear matching earrings. She thought matching keychains were over-rated and matching earrings were more fun and stylish. And so he did, but not in the way that she thought he would. Instead of piercing his lobes, Byakko pierced the top cartilage of his right ear. Cartilage piercings were a big deal, only for the brave and it really was a bold move because it looked intimidating and the first step beyond the world of normal as far as piercings went.

She remembered being furious and stamping her feet at him. She wanted him to pierce his earlobe like her and every other normal person on Earth. At least he got the side right. She wore hers on the left ear and he pierced only his right ear. He refused to have it any other way, and he wore her matching diamond stud through his cartilage piercing ever since.

Well… she didn't know if he still had it. His hair usually covered the tops of his ears in one way or another. One could only see, if the angle was just right. The more she thought about him, the more her wound opened up. She broke up with him ages ago! She was the one who decided that! She shouldn't have to live to regret it! She didn't realise remembering him would be this painful, let alone seeing him. The last time she saw him was during the Summer Solstice Festival, when he was up on stage. He sang that country ballad like an arch angel. She had no idea what he was doing there and she didn't give a damn. She also remembered that _Fender_ with aching nostalgia. She fled with Ryou-kun back into the Nakiri manner and locked herself inside her bedroom. She had a fitful night.

Something wet dripped onto her open palm, over her only diamond stud.

They were tears.

"Mi'lady. Are you ready to go?"

Alice dumped the earring and the velvet pouch back into the jewellery box and slammed it shut. Ryou-kun blinked in confusion from his position by her bedroom door as he looked at her through the reflection of her dressing table mirror.

"Yep! All set. Let's go" she leapt up and smoothed out her clothes and quickly rubbed her tears away.

 _'Game face'_

Alice produced a perfect smile and made sure it was there in the mirror. Beautiful. Confident. Smart. Talented. Ambitious.

 _Cold-hearted._

Her bedroom plunged into silence as she disconnected her smartphone from her speakers, turning her music app off and slipping it into her pocket. Soon, the two students walked through the corridors of the Nakiri mansion until they reached the Elite Ten offices in the adjacent building. Alice did everything she could to chat about anything and everything to obliterate any thoughts about her ex-boyfriend and Ryou-kun just nodded and said _'Ous'_ to everything she said. Ryou-kun was harder to read than most people and Alice spent a great deal of her childhood learning to read his mind, but there were some times where her mad-dog assistant's facade of boredom was impenetrable. For all she knew, he could be seeing right through her desperate charade to hide her pain and she couldn't tell.

Soon they finally reached Isshiki-senpai's office.

"Welcome! Thanks for making the journey Alice-san, Kurokiba-kun" said Isshiiki- _senpai_ as he ushered them both in

"Not at all! _Hej_ everyone!" She was welcomed with the sight of the remaining Elite Ten students including Erina, as well more familiar faces. Alice swaggered with as much fanfare as she could manage. She flicked her hair as impressively as possible and gave a hearty wave to all the people in the room who were either polite and greeted her back or just grunted.

Hayama-kun, Arato-san, Isami-kun, Megumi-chan, Mimasaka-san, and of course Yukihira-kun.

"Have a seat, Alice-san, Ryou-kun" Megumi-chan pointed to the two empty seats beside her and Alice gladly took it.

"I'm sorry, I don't think _fratello_ can make it. He went to his girlfriend's place for dinner and I've sent him various texts and left voice-mails. I don't know if he's looked at them yet" said Isami-kun, rubbing his head and bowing at the brunette _senpai_. He held up the other Aldini's letter in his hand, showing everyone that he wasn't able to give it to his brother.

Alice cackled in her mind. Takumi Aldini was sure getting busy these days.

Isami-kun was dressed in a sweat shirt and cargo pants. Now that she looked around, some people were dressed in casual wear too. Yukihira was in his usual 'QuadStar' jersey and track pants, Megumi-chan was in a nice baby doll shirt and shorts, Hayama was in his usual stripped grandad shirt. He probably had thousands of those, Arato-san was still in school uniform with the other Elite Ten actually, Mimasaka was in a wife beater. The oaf didn't even bother dressing for the occasion. It wasn't hard to slip on a shirt. Honestly!

"That's okay Isami-kun. We couldn't have known he wouldn't be at home with you. We will go on ahead. Just let him know what transpired this evening if he doesn't turn up at some point" said Isshiki- _senpai_. "Ok, Kinokuni-san, please take over"

The blandest and monotonous looking girl got up. She was the sixth seater, Kinokuni Nene, a third year like Isshiki- _senpai_. She wore perfectly rounded spectacles and her hair was plated into thin braids on either side of her head and it trailed down the front of her shoulders. Her black eyes were down-casted onto the clipboard in front of her and her lips fixed in a straight line. She might as well be a young widower stepped out of the history books from the _Showa_ period.

"The Elite Ten Council has decided after much deliberation to address the vacant seats left open by our graduated upperclassmen" she began. She couldn't have been droller.

"Yes!" Yukihira-kun punched the air and Erina immediately shushed him. Everyone else leaned forward in their seats in much needed anticipation.

"It's about time" said Hayama, smirking.

"We've decided that Tootsuki will hold an official competition to decide who best qualifies for each seat. All of you invited have fulfilled the criteria satisfactorily and thus have been chosen to compete. However, us remaining Elite Ten have also decided to step down from our positions to participate against you in order to reshuffle the seats into a new ranking"

"You hear that Yukihira-chin! I'll get you for real this time!" Terunori- _senpai_ yelled at the top of his lungs from beside her cousin, shaking his fist at Yukihira-kun, much to Alice's amusement.

"Quiet, imbecile" deadpanned Kinokuni- _senpai_.

"Bite me!"

" _Enough…"_ Erina growled.

"Anyhow!" Isshiki- _senpai_ continued on. "We will let you know about the details closer to the competition date which will be in two months' time. There are a few issues that we need to look after first"

" _Ano…_ What about Eizan- _senpai_? How is he going to compete in the reshuffle if he is…" piped up Megumi-chan. He words trailing off as everyone knew what had happened to him.

Alice wondered about that too. How was all that going to work? Fortunately, it sounded like Isshiki- _senpai_ had a confident answer.

"Don't worry, we are working on that. For now, he will remain in the ninth seat. Everyone will reshuffle around him if he isn't back by that time"

"When will he be back? If he's coming back at all" asked Hayama-kun, leaning back into his seat with his arms crossed.

"Unfortunately, we don't know but we're working hard to bring him back to Tootsuki" said Isshiki- _senpai_ , smiling reassuringly at everyone. "Thanks for coming on short notice everyone. Here's a summary package for you to read over. It's about all the benefits of being on the Elite Ten Council. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of being on the council before you decide you want to participate. Here's one for your brother too, Isami-kun"

" _Grazie"_

Alice skimmed over the summary package. It was wrapped up in a fancy folder similar to the fancy letter. She already knew most of the ins and outs of the Elite Ten as Erina was on it and they sometimes talked about it. Or more like Alice laughed and pointed while Erina dictated about how important she thought she was. The most attractive part of the deal was the grant money. Every council member had a budget allocated to them for whatever research, cooking equipment and ingredients they wanted to spend on. She had a kitchen she wanted to upgrade. Also the enormous amount of power they had over the school was something lip-smacking. She internally giggled.

She looked around the she saw very determined faces all around. There was a gigantic shift in the atmosphere, like the rising of _samurai_ spirits cascading forth from each student, clashing with each other's aura. The game was _on._

Alice couldn't wait for this competition. She will finally have her kingdom.

* * *

 **Oh dear... The mystery thickens around Alice and Kuchiyose's past :( Just in case for anyone who doesn't remember, 'Byakko' is Kuchiyose's given name and only Alice refers him to as Byakko, not even Ayame and Chizuru have that privilege.**

 **Takumi and Ayame have stepped up their game! They are young and running on hormones and probably don't even know what they are doing half the time. They're going through their own sexual awakening. It's their first relationship which is an adventure in its own right :)**

 **The A-Team is finally back together and will be pitting against the remaining Elite Ten for their seats! I've been waiting for this moment. Too bad Eizan can't be here for this, his arse is still in jail.**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think :) See you soon!**

 **Signing off**

 **\- TripWire-dono**


	19. Reshuffling the Seats & Hiding Hickeys

_Chapter 19 – Reshuffling the Seats & Hiding Hickeys_

* * *

Takumi didn't expect to come home last night with Isami still not back from that meeting with the Elite Ten. He yawned and scratched his belly as he made his way to the kitchen and started up the brand new automatic peculator for some good, morning coffee. Isami was still sleeping in the next room, recuperating from whatever happened last night. He'd missed all of Isami's text messages and voicemails and didn't know about this secretive meeting until he left Ayame's house pretty late at night. Apparently a special courier delivered an invitation to the apartment according to one of Isami's text. He didn't stop by the apartment at all, as he came straight to Ayame's house from Tootsuki. He wondered why they felt the need to have this secret meeting in the evening. Anyhow, he shouldn't leave his phone on just vibrate anymore. Who knew what other important things he will miss?

That was a very interesting dinner.

Takumi groaned and poured himself a cup when the coffee was ready. He still felt really tired. He couldn't stop thinking about last night with Ayame and his sleep was more like sleep _less_. What had he done?! They didn't do anything _beyond the point of no return_ last night but _Cristo!_ They might as well have been. Takumi had never felt so passionate in his life than that moment he was in with Ayame. It was like he had completely abandoned his soul to some sort of inner beast. That lustful, enamoured creature residing in the deep recesses of his heart which always crooned for his _bella_. No. She was more than that now.

 _She was his amore._

Ayame kept encouraging him and there was nothing he could do to refuse her. He was in no position to do so when his _amore_ was the perfect picture of a sultry maiden in need of a release in the same way as he did. His hands were everywhere, his lips and tongue were everywhere. _Dio mio…_ the burning in his groin was almost too much to bear and the more she rocked against him, the more he slipped away from reality. Anywhere he could find her bare milky skin, he lavished and caressed it. He was so glad they didn't take off their clothes at all. That was probably where his inner gentleman drew the line. He remembered pulling down the sleeves of her singlets off her shoulders and maybe slipped his hands underneath, palming her smooth skin, listening keenly to her soft sighs and gasps as he did so. He might have felt sharp tugs in his scalp as her slender fingers threaded itself into his hair but he wasn't quite sure. If he was honest with himself, he remembered what he felt rather than what actually happened.

Takumi padded out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing, sipping his hot morning coffee. It was a Sunday morning, but the streets below were still busy as ever.

After all their… he didn't know what to call it… their 'us time'? They finally calmed down and regained their wits. Ayame was a beautiful heated mess and he was pretty much the same, he dared say in worse shape. Her eyes, oh her eyes. It was darkened into a lustrous green when he gazed upon her and it really got his blood roaring for his _amore_. He should like to see that expression again. There were no regrets in what they did. Takumi wanted to show her how much he loved her and she did the same. Their love was mutual and he couldn't hope for anything better. They had rested side by side, leaning against her bed, her hand in his and her head on his shoulder as they just talked about anything and everything. She did most of the talking and he listened. Just like they always did. At the end of the night, Ayame sent him home a happy man. She wanted him the same way as he did and that was enough for him.

In a free state of mind, Takumi's thoughts sauntered over to Shiomi-sensei's assignment. That's one thing he needed to get done as soon as possible so that he had more time for actual cooking practice. Takumi wasn't cocky enough to think he didn't need practice. As a proper chef in a proper _trattoria,_ one should always keep up their skill no matter what, lest they shame themselves and their profession. His school email was flooded with _shokugeki_ challenges, which he hadn't had the time to skim over. They were mostly from male students who accused him of stealing their girlfriends' soul and turning their hearts against them with his 'sinfully good looks'. Takumi thought they were the most pathetic _shokugeki_ accusations ever. It wasn't his fault they couldn't please their girlfriend's enough to keep them and they went off looking for something else.

He shivered. Girls could be scary when they were loyally devoted on the edge of madness. One had only to take a look at Sadatsuka Nao and they would instantly get the full picture. Even worse when a whole bunch of girls joined in solidarity to focus all their devotion onto the one common thing. Like his fan club… They became some sort of big multi-systemic organism where each individual girl operated together as one. Like one big, massive girl… Takumi shook his head. Ayame's talk of robots were getting to him. Lately his fan club had been unusually quiet and he didn't know why, but it was great. If that kept up, he and Isami will have a less stressful year ahead. Takumi's thoughts wandered over back to Ayame. Since when did it _not_ cycle back to her? He didn't actually broadcast to everyone in the school that he already had a girlfriend. It was his and Ayame's business, not theirs. But Ayame's little tactic during the Summer Solstice Festival to imply herself as his girlfriend in front of his fan club at their booth should have done the trick. However, he was prepared to make his relationship status known in the whole school if he must to keep them all off his back if things got out of control.

"Oh hey, _Fratello_. You're up already. What time did you get home last night?"

Takumi turned around and smiled at his brother "About ten or ten-thirty" he replied.

"Did you read my texts?" asked Isami. He took up his position beside Takumi with a cup of coffee himself and leaned against the railing too. He was dressed out of his pyjamas and into some shorts and a muscle shirt.

" _Si._ I was going to ask you about it when I got home, but you weren't back yet. Did that meeting run for hours or something?" Takumi sipped his coffee.

Isami chuckled. "Nah! I stuck around for a few more hours, up to about eleven o'clock, to hang out with Yukihira-kun and the others at Polar Star dorms. I was going to tell you all about the meeting but you were already in bed snoring away when I got back"

"O-OI! I don't snore!" Takumi threw his brother a dirty lock from the side. He didn't care for teasing before lunch time. Isami returned without him knowing? He must have been out-cold then.

"The snorer never knows they are snoring" Isami teased.

"Are you going to tell me about this Elite Ten meeting or what?" Takumi bit out, blushing deeply as he continued to sip his coffee. He did NOT snore.

"Right. Basically, you, me, Yukihira-kun, Megumi-chan, Alice-san, Hayama-kun, Kurokiba-kun, Arato-san and Mimasaka have been chosen by the Elite Ten to compete against each other and themselves in _shokugekis,_ to reshuffle the seats for a new Elite Ten Council"

Takumi couldn't believe his ears.

" _FINALEMENTE! I WILL DEFEAT THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL!"_

Takumi bellowed out and punched the air. It's about freaking time! He was going claim one of those seats and will have the chance to settle the score with both Yukihira and Mima-sucker again. It wasn't just good news, it was _fantastico!_ His heart pumped faster and his nerve were electrifying with so much excitement and adrenaline coursing through his veins. He was extremely honoured to have been elected along with Isami to compete for those highly coveted seats. This meant they were amongst the best of the best in their generation. He was all fired up! The sweet drive for competition was running rampant. There was so much he needed to prepare to come out as victor out of those two _bastardi_. Isami was staring at him as if he lost his mind, but he didn't care! He had every right to lose his mind over this because their destinies for their fated battle had finally met after a year and a half of intertwining, but never meeting.

"Calm down, _Fratello…_ The actual competition won't be until about two months. The current Elite Ten have some matters to smooth out during that time. Why don't you read the Elite Ten summary package first? I left it on your desk" said Isami, carefully removing his elder brother's coffee cup from his hands before he threw it over the railing in his over-excitement.

"Hey, one more thing. Yukihira-kun asked me, to ask you, if he could have Namikaze-chan's number to give to Terunori-senpai" said Isami.

Namikaze's name in that sentence was enough to throw a spanner into his mood. He held back a groan.

"Why the hell does Terunori-senpai want _her_ number?" Takumi narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Terunori-senpai asked Yukihira-kun for it because he wanted to give some sort of apology for something he did wrong by her during the Summer Solstice Festival, I think. I don't know the details" Isami shrugged and finished off his coffee with a large sip.

Takumi sighed. Of course she had stirred up some sort of drama during the festival, why wouldn't she? Yukihira only met Ayame's friends once for his brother's welcome home get together ages ago, so obviously they hadn't traded numbers yet. Takumi literally had to imagine the arrows drawing out the line of request for her number going from Terunori-senpai pointing to Yukihira, pointing to Isami, pointing to himself. Then from himself the arrows will point to Ayame and then to Namikaze.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised. Alright. I'll ask Ayame, to ask Namikaze-san to see if she's okay with it first…" Takumi mumbled. He would rather ask permission through his girlfriend than to talk to the little troll directly.

The two brothers digressed back to discussing about the Elite Ten competition that would soon be held and Takumi felt the embers glowing in his heart again. They both went back inside their apartment and continued their conversation in Takumi's bedroom. Isami made himself comfortable in his elder twin's desk chair as Takumi kneeled down on the carpet to pull out his knife case from under his bed. He flipped it open, revealing his set of sharp, high quality Japanese made kitchen knives. They were hand forged, including the _mezzaluna,_ in the _tamehagane_ style and _Pappa_ had them imported from Japan for his coming of age. They were designed and made only for the best chefs. Isami had an identical set. Very fitting for twin brothers. He could see his reflection on his blades, his weapons, as clear as water. Only there was an empty slot where his _mezzaluna_ should be.

' _Soon. I will have you back'_

"I know how you feel, _Fratello_ " Takumi felt a firm hand on his shoulder as he continued gazing at his knives. He didn't need to turn around to know Isami was pretty much drooling behind him, as he always did when he got revved up for a cooking competition. The two brothers had equal burning passion for _shokugekis_ , but their manifestations of that excitement were very different.

"It's about time our _Mezzaluna_ came home. No?"

* * *

"Oh. My. God. _Seriously?!_ Bwahahahaha!"

Ayame had to take a step back from her best friend as she pointed at her and laughed mercilessly like a parakeet. Chizuru-chan had the most indiscreet and impolite laugh regardless if she was laughing with someone or at someone, or if they were friends or worst enemies. If she thought something was hilarious, every person and their dog will know about it. She sighed. She should have prepared herself for this when she came over asking to borrow some of Chizuru-chan's make up. Oh the embarrassment she landed herself in. Ayame felt her face flush and she couldn't bring herself to look at her best friend in the eyes. What other choice did she have? Chizuru-chan was Chizuru-chan inside and out. _Okaa-san_ took her make-up bag with her on her extended business trip and as if _Otou-san_ had any, even if it was for police work. Now that was a thought. Her demonic _Otou-san_ claiming back tax on make-up for undercover work. Obviously, his underlings would look after all that nonsense if there were ever such a thing, not the Superintendent General of the TMPD. Ayame suppressed a snort.

"Let me see, let me see!"

"Wait- HEY!"

Chizuru-chan yanked down the sleeve of her top and pushed her head to the side with the other hand quite roughly. She tsked rapidly at her as Ayame's neck strained to take the brunt of Chizuru-chan's strength. Ayame struggled to pull away her hands and once she managed to slap her hands away from her and pull her sleeve back up, she crossed her arms and harrumphed, however her friend was still sporting a cheeky smile. Ayame told her they only made-out. It wasn't a joking matter, at all!

 _"Giovanni_ doesn't have a limit, huh. Look at all those hickeys he left you with" she replied.

Yes. They were _hickeys._ Lots of them.

Chizuru-chan made her way up the stairs and Ayame followed closely behind. Oh gosh, she had the scare of her life when she went to take a shower this morning. She shrieked at the sight of her shoulders and neck covered in small random blotches of purple-red bruises! Good thing _Otou-san_ wasn't home, otherwise he'd break the door down and brandish his _katana_ blade, ready to skewer whatever made her scream. At first she thought she had a bed-bug infestation and then it dawned on her that it wasn't that in the slightest. They were all over the erogenous areas! Her _décolletage!_ Any idiot could would be able to tell they weren't the works of mosquito bites, but rather _love bites._ Takumi-kun's love bites. Ayame was ready to faint in the shower.

She did the next best thing. Threw on shirt and a silk scarf, and trudged her way over to Chizuru-chan's house.

"You've made a good decision, coming to me. Luckily we have pretty similar skin tones, so you can use my concealer and stuff, and maybe some matte-finish powder if you want to set it, so the concealer won't rub" said Chizuru-chan.

"Thanks" said Ayame. What would she do without her?

Chizuru-chan's bedroom was like any other light-weight high schooler but with a gaming flourish. It was bright and colour coordinated to perfection, adopting light blue tones and hues. Her pale blue walls were covered with autographs and posters of her favourite actors and pop-idols. One of which was Yoshioka Yuiichi, a Japanese pop-country singer. He looked nothing like Kuchiyose-kun, so she couldn't understand why the Tootsuki entertainment committee mistook him for Yoshioka Yuiichi. Her bookshelf was neatly lined with _manga_ of the _shounen_ and _shoujou_ variety and littered with magazines, light novels and _tankobans._

Best of all, she had a state of the art computer system sitting on her large desk by the bed. The computer monitor was wider than most and her keyboard had the best feeling whenever she was typing. Ayame could definitely appreciate the mechanics that was built into each key for smooth and fast response when typing. Chizuru-chan had saved up for a very long time to buy a gaming keyboard, a gaming headset with microphone, good speakers, and a gaming mouse to 'game' with her internet friends on League of Legends. Not only that, she had a gaming laptop, which had its own padded bag. She also had gaming magazines sitting on her bedside table with some of the page corners dog eared.

Chizuru-chan had rather childish bedsheets, which were covered in that well known pocket monsters pattern she used to watch as a child. It was pushed to the wall like her own bed, right next to the window. Chizuru-chan always kept her windows open, even if it was cold, to get fresh air in, out of fear that her room would smell bad or stuffy if herself or Kuchiyose-kun came to visit. Her best friend may be a bit of a gamer-girl on some level, but she was by no means a slob. A life-time of being unable to smell made her extremely cautious and paranoid of her living conditions and she made every effort to go above and beyond the call of duty to certify she smelt hygienic to others at least.

Ayame's eyes travel across the well acquainted room until it landed on a tea-cup and saucer by the bedside. It was a tea-cup candle she got Chizuru-chan as a gift. Seeing it still there after more than year made her smile.

"Okay, let's try a bit of this"

Chizuru-chan pulled out her make-up bag and sat cross-legged, opposite Ayame on the bed. Chizuru-chan had helped Ayame out many times when it came to the make-up area. She did a fantastic job for her first date with Takumi-kun. But she also helped to hide her heavy eye-bags courtesy of endless nights of studying to look fresh and alive for school photo day every single year. She instructed Ayame to put on some primer from a small silver tube. Once she was done, Chizuru-chan started dabbing on some concealer on her neck and the visible parts of her collar, and continued to blend it with some sort of teardrop shaped sponge called a beauty blender. Then she took out her little flat circle canister and dabbed on some of that matte finish powder. Soon it looked like those hickeys never happened.

"Thanks for this. I don't know when _Otou-san_ will be dropping home. It will be a disaster if he caught me unawares and got an eyeful of this" said Ayame, gesturing to her completely hidden hickeys.

She continued to admire her unblemished looking neck in Chizuru-chan's pocket mirror. It was like it was never there. Chizuru-chan owned a lot of make-up, but surprisingly she hardly used it to it's full potential except for special events like weddings. Maybe she just liked to buy it. For school, she used just enough to enhance her good features, but still looking all-natural. Chizuru-chan was an edgy and spunky looking girl, she was quite attractive, but only for those who could handle her intimidation. Make-up was certainly a powerful tool. She had to admire the advancements to cosmetics and surgery World War Two brought. Ayame learnt that the birth of the modern make-up came about from doctors needing to find ways to help soldiers with facial disfigurement hide their scars. If only those high school girls didn't go crazy with it and plastered it all over their faces.

"No worries. I recommend you buy your own concealer and stuff if _Giovanni_ is gonna keep leaving you little presents like this. Then I can teach you all the tricks of the trade" she chortled, giving Ayame the 'V' sign.

"Should I keep reminding you his name is Takumi Aldini?"

"Yes, yes I know. But wow, I didn't think he would get his socks rocked off so soon. I mean, he looks like the type of guy who would make some sort of virginity pact or follow a _'Thou shalt not make-out'_ commandment before marriage" said Chizuru-chan as she packed away her make-up.

"No, Takumi-kun isn't that extreme, but it's nice to have a boyfriend who has strong values though" she smiled.

"Hmmm, I agree. But we'll see how strong those values will last now that he's passed second base" she winked back. Ayame blushed. "I'll get us some juice. Just hold tight" Chizuru-chan skipped downstairs towards the kitchen.

Well, Takumi-kun knew nothing of her hickeys and he wasn't going to. She wouldn't dare tell him about it lest he faint and wake-up later feeling guilty and he will probably make some sort of vow to never touch her indecently again and Ayame didn't want that. They were a bit of a nuisance but they didn't hurt at all, but what's to stop her boyfriend from believing so? She'd better take up Chizuru-chan's advice and make a trip to the chemist to buy some make-up to cover all the future love-bites. She was almost sure Takumi-kun and herself will have more interludes like that in the future. She had lots of patience for her adorable boyfriend, but it was better to avoid him feeling bad for this and locking himself into the 'guilt closet' for bruising her with his lips unintentionally because she didn't want to have to drag him out.

Ayame pulled out her phone to check the time. It was only eleven-thirty on a Sunday. She liked the smell of Chizuru-chan's matte finish powder, but she wondered if her best friend knew it smelt nice.

' _Vorrrp!'_

"Oh, a text from Takumi-kun…" she muttered.

' _Good morning, mio amore!_

 _How's your day? I have a small request.  
Could you ask Namikaze-san if it's ok  
if I give her number to my senpai?  
Apparently it's for an apology thing.  
Don't ask me what, I don't know what it's about.  
Grazie._

 _Con affeto da,  
-Takumi'_

"Eh?"

She was going to have to ask him what those Italian phrases meant. She always forgot to ask. Other than that, it was an unusual text. Takumi-kun could have asked Chizuru-chan himself since he already had her number. But it was a smart move that he'd ask permission first though. If Chizuru-chan found out that Takumi-kun gave her number freely away without her say-so, his arse would be kicked across Tokyo. She had a feeling he didn't really want to talk to Chizuru-chan, which was why he was going through her instead. She was going to have to create some bonding time between these two, she didn't want tension between her best friend and her boyfriend. That was another matter. Some sort of apology, was it? Ayame racked her brain to figure out what.

' _Oh yeah! That guy dressed in the Chinese outfit!'_

Ayame felt the light bulb 'ping' above her head. He was Takumi-kun's upperclassman? He didn't look old enough to be. He had declared himself the president of the Chinese Cuisine Society too, but his name eluded her. She spoke to him briefly with Tadokoro-san about his little mishap with Chizuru-chan over her congenital anosmia. He had said he felt 'shitty' about it, and it looked like he genuinely understood how much he was in the wrong and was remorseful. She also remembered giving him a helpful suggestion to make it up to her too. Cooking something spicy for her one day. He wasn't that bad looking, probably a little wild, especially his half-bleached hair and free-spirited, but he seemed utterly adorable in a pitiful way, the way he gazed forlornly at Chizuru-chan during that festive evening. There was no way in hell Chizuru-chan will give him her number, so Ayame had a better plan.

"Here you go"

Ayame roused from her musings and flipped her phone shut as Chizuru nudged open the door with her foot. She had a large smile and toted a wooden tray with some snacks and two tall glasses of apple juice with ice. Chizuru-chan liked apple juice mainly for its acidity. It's a shame she couldn't taste the apple flavour.

"Thanks" she reached for her glass and the two of them sipped their cool, refreshing drinks.

"Did _Giovanni_ send you a dick pic already?" she said, flipping through one of her magazines.

Ayame blushed crimson, stuffing her phone out of sight.

"N-No of course he didn't! He was just saying good morning!" Ayame yelled at her friend. Chizuru-chan casted her a look that said Ayame was no more than a cute yapping puppy to her right now.

"How sweet" she said.

' _Bleep!'_

"Oh, a text message from Kuchiyose-kun" Chizuru-chan quirked her eyebrow, her straw dangling from her lips she unplugged her smart phone from its dock and scanned the message. "He's going to buy new soccer shin-pads and wants us to come with him. His old pair shattered in the last game. How the fuck do they play soccer these days?! Honestly…"

"I have time this afternoon. Should we meet him at the fountain in Karakura honchou?" asked Ayame.

"Hmm… no fountains. He doesn't trust us when it comes to fountains anymore" said Chizuru-chan. "I say we'll meet him at his family's tofu shop"

Ayame laughed dejectedly. Oh yes… She remembered that time clearly. Kuchiyose-kun had wanted to meet at the Tootsuki fountain when he managed to arrive safely to Summer Solstice Festival only to find that his friends didn't turn up at the suggested rendezvous point at all. Ayame still felt a bit bad about that, especially when she and Chizuru-chan were the ones to commit that unintentional act of betrayal to such a gentle giant such as he. The two of them made it up to him with a very expensive _yakiniku_ lunch. Her wallet was still smarting.

While Chizuru-chan was busy texting Kuchiyose-kun that they will meet him at his family's tofu shop instead to make it easier, she resumed thinking of her response to Takumi-kun. She began typing.

' _Hi Takumi-kun!_

 _My day's been good. I'm actually  
at Chizuru-chan's house right now :D  
I don't think she'd be happy with giving  
out her number to your senpai. Sorry.  
But I have a better idea…'_

* * *

This was not what Takumi had in mind when he and Isami got an invitation from Tadokoro-san to spend a day over at Polar Star Dorms to work on Shiomi-sensei's assignment together. They carried their book bags, laptops, knife-case and everything all the way to Tootsuki. As soon as they got there, there was some sort of commotion from the massive, vine-covered dormitory. As it turned out, in the kitchen, Yukihira was mashing all sorts of root spices together in a mortor and pestle and basting dried scallops in it, getting everyone to have a taste. Ibusaki-san had once again set his room on fire and insisted that this 'rarely happened'. Sasaki-san thought it was turning into a party and was pouring out her mysterious fermented rice juice in every cup available. Yoshino-san broke out her new pack of cards after she caught all her runaway poultry. The two boys, he forgot their names, brought all the fun over into poor Marui-san's bedroom.

He, Isami and Tadokoro-san stood there like a limp noodle letting their bodies wither into husks.

There was no way anyone was going to be studying and working on Shiomi-sensei's assignment today.

"I-I'm sorry you guys… Everyone w-was motivated to w-work hard in the beginning, but I g-guess not anymore…" Tadokoro-san was about to sob.

"It's alright Megumi-chan, we were just wondering if we could borrow some of Marui-kun's textbooks on Middle Ages Cuisine instead then?" asked Isami.

Takumi rubbed his forehead in exasperation. So much for a productive afternoon today. "Well it can't be helped. I suggest we set up a study area in the main dining hall to set an example to everyone" said Takumi, folding his arms across his chest.

"That's a great idea. Maybe then everyone will get back on track" said Fumio-san. Takumi and Isami turned around to bow, greet her and thank her for allowing them to use her dormitory to study. She waved them off and said it was her pleasure.

Fumio Daimidou-san was the perfect image of a shrewd, grumpy, wrinkled old grandma. She was genuinely as tough as nails and ornery as a head nurse of a busy hospital, but during the time the Aldini twins got to know her she turned out to be a very fair, patient and generous individual who looked after her brood like a mother hen did for her chicks. She liked nothing more than to see her dorm chicks exercise their talent and reach their true potential. She also loved talking and reminisce about the 'Golden Age' of Polar Star. They initially thought it was really weird she had her own entrance exam of sorts to enter her dormitory as retold by Tadokoro-san, who spent a few months living in a barn before she got in. But that only made it clear that Fumio-san valued tenacity and hidden potential in all students. The more the Aldini twins spent time in the Polar Star Dormitory, it felt like they were slowly becoming adopted. As an after-thought, Isami would've looked like her if he were to evolve into an old lady.

Takumi and Isami set up their things on one of the dining hall tables while Tadokoro-san ran to get some study materials from Marui-san's room. He came to learn that Marui-san had the biggest room so that he could house all of his culinary research textbooks and recipe books.

"Yo Takumi, Isami! Try this. Let me tell you, it's _good"_

"Absolutely not! Fuck off!"

Takumi dodged in the last minute Yukihira's crude attempt to shove a chopstick full of 'blergh' into his mouth. He should have smelled it coming when that good-for-nothing maverick chef bounded out from the kitchen with a plastic box of pickling, spiced up gunk.

"We'll pass, Yukihira-kun" Isami laughed nervously. "Did Megumi-chan tell you that we'd be here to work on our assignment with you guys today?" he asked.

"Yeah she did. I've already done all my preliminary research for the Middle Age culinary stuff for the country I've chosen. So, I'm up to developing my recipe right now" said Yukihira without missing a beat.

Takumi narrowed his eyes. Yukihira was surprisingly studious when he wanted to be. It was only two days ago, he was complaining about too many essays in classes and not enough cooking and here he was claiming that he'd already done his research. Ha! He'll just see about that. That's nothing until he actually typed down shit into the assignment. Right now, Takumi felt the burning need to smash his diner arse into the ground with this assignment. Beating Yukihira in a _duello_ was one thing on the top of his priority list, but also defeating him in all other areas was tantamount too! He'll see, Takumi had chosen to base his assignment on Spanish Royal Cuisine and even if he didn't specialise in Spanish cuisine let alone Middle Age spice stuff, he will still conjure up a unique and original Aldini-style Middle Age Spanish dish so _royal_ that it will make Yukihira's recipe fit only for the peasants! Then that red-headed devil spawn will _have to_ properly recognise him as his one true rival!

"Umm… _Fratello_ , your laptop is already on… y-you don't need to keep pressing the on-button. It'll just keeping going to sleep and waking up again… h-haha" Isami placed his hand on Takumi's shoulder.

' _Oh whoops. Ack! Damn that bastardo Yukihira for distracting me?!'_

Takumi summoned all his strength to breathe in and out, and count to ten in his head. He crossed his arms and leveled the object of his rivalry with a cold, hard stare. Yukihira gazed back through hooded eyes as dopey as ever. Everything about him made him mad…

"I don't see how _that_ is the fruits of your research. What is it? Dried scallop, mugwort and turmeric or something?" Takumi, wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What country is it supposed to be from?"

"Not from any country, I'm just taking a break. You know, experimenting to clear my head. I chose England to base my Middle Age dish fit for royalty" replied Yukihira.

"Haha, that's a popular country to work with Yukihira-kun. I'm sure you would've had a lot of research to sift through" said Isami.

"What about you guys? Which country did you choose?" Yukihira took a seat from across the two and removed his white strip of cloth from his forehead. He crossed his arms and leaned forward, eager to hear from the Aldini twins.

"I'm doing Spain. Isami is doing Germany" said Takumi, already flipping through Marui-san's textbooks to start his readings.

"For real? I thought you guys would pick Italy or something" Yukihira whistled lowly and clasped his hands behind his head. He also lifted his legs up so that he could sit with his legs crossed on the chair.

"We already know Italian cuisine like the backs of our hands. We don't need to learn any more about it when there are other wonderful and unique cuisines we could research instead" replied Takumi as if Yukihira said something completely stupid.

"I hear ya. Keep widening your horizon's aye? Oh, here comes Megumi" Yukihira sat up and greeting the huffing and puffing girl. It looked like she went through a lot of effort to borrow Marui-san's historical cooking textbooks. Perhaps the party in his room was getting out of hand. Takumi and Isami stood up on reflex too as they greeted her again.

"Here, We'll take some of those" Takumi smiled at Tadokoro-san who flashed him a very grateful expression, as he and his brother grabbed all the books from her, leaving her to her own devices.

"Yukihira, have you finished cleaning up your mess yet? We don't want to hurl all over the books and laptops from that God-forsaken thing you made. We can still smell that..." said Takumi, turning his attention back to the red-headed chef with a scowl.

"I won't be a tick. I'll come and join you guys once I'm done!" said the red-headed chef. He sprinted back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up his mess. _Mamma_ always told him that cooking wasn't finished until everything was cleaned up the kitchen.

Yukihira was so… _odd_. No, more than odd. He was plain abnormal. He carried this self-possessed assurance in everything he did like a mantle which got him through most trials and tribulations. In some ways, it was refreshing for Takumi to see. He'd been in Tootsuki for a long time now, since the middle school division. All he'd seen was, if a Tootsuki student wanted to come out on top, they would by all means put another student down. Their idea of being number one was to make sure everyone else was the bottom of the barrel. He heard about the time two students pulled a cheap stunt and poured salt all over Yukihira's and Tadokoro's san's _beef bourguignon_ in Chapelle's class last year. Despicable sabotage. He'd seen that all the time and he and Isami were subjected more than once in the past. What did that say about those students as an individual? It showed that they were too busy scowling left and right rather than concentrating their own efforts. Because they were so jaded by other people's success and weren't confident in their own, that they'd reduce themselves to being cruel to others in sneaky ways to make themselves feel better. Takumi didn't know if that was a 'Japanese thing'. A bit of comparison and competition was good, he had to admit, but not to that extent. Yukihira on the other hand wasn't scared of other's success. He was every bit confident in his skills and he had every right to be. Takumi had never seen him try to put anyone down, but rather he encouraged others to succeed. To trust themselves. The time he spoke to Mimasaka after his semi-final Autumn Elections battle was evidence enough that Yukihira was a gracious winner. He didn't care about what others thought of him and continued to experiment with food to his heart's content, breaking down all the barriers.

Takumi wanted to be like him in some ways.

" _Fratello,_ If you keep looking in the direction of Yukihira-kun like that, Ayame-chan will get jealous" Isami chuckled beside him.

" _Cazzo!_ N-No! Wh-What! I wasn't—"

' _Bzzzt!'_

Takumi felt his thigh vibrate from his phone. He sighed and flipped it open.

"Ah, is it from Ayame-san?" asked Tadokoro-san opposite him.

"Yeah, it is actually" Takumi briefly smiled and opened up the text.

' _Hi Takumi-kun!_

 _My day's been good. I'm actually  
at Chizuru-chan's house right now :D  
I don't think she'd be happy with giving  
out her number to your senpai. Sorry.  
But I have a better idea…_

 _She works part-time after school at_  
 _Koujima Shouten. It's a bookstore in_  
 _Karakura honchou. I think that will_  
 _be more helpful to your senpai._

 _Lots of love,_  
 _-Ayame_

Takumi blinked several times. Namikaze works? Roman Gods forgive him, but that was quite hard to swallow. The idea of Namikaze actually having a customer-service part-time job was the same as Nakiri Erina apologising for something. A bookstore, nonetheless! Takumi thought probably a gaming store would be a better match. The little _chiacchierone_ was full of surprises. A work address was probably better. Whatever Terunori-senpai was planning, it could be made to look like a coincidence that he stumbled across her workplace rather than anything being traced back to Ayame, Yukihira, Isami and himself.

"What is she doing today? Have you asked her for Namikaze-chan's number yet?" asked Isami, as he typed up his notes.

"Ah, she's hanging out with Namikaze-san at her house. She doesn't think Namikaze-san would allow it." replied Takumi. He quickly texted his 'thank you' reply to Ayame.

"Alright, I'm all done." Yukihira came back out from the kitchen sporting a big smile. He pulled up a seat and borrowed Takumi's notepad and started to brainstorm some ideas for his own dish on a quick mind-map.

"Oi, Yukihira. It's a no-go. Ayame's giving you Namikaze-san's part-time work address instead" he handed his flip phone to Yukihira beside him so that he could take down the details. As soon as Yukihira finished jotting down the information, a gleeful smirk spread across his cheeks and he hunched his shoulders, suppressing a creepy chuckle. Huh? What's funny? What was he up to…

"OI! What are you doing!? DON'T SCROLL UP! Our messages are private, you _idiota!"_

Takumi snatched back his phone from the damn _bastardo._ Fury overtook him as he cradled his phone to his chest, hissing at Yukihira. The red-head only laughed and held up his hands in surrender, trying to abate Takumi's verbal attacks as he belted out a torrent of curses and swears at him.

"My bad, my bad! I just wanted to see if there's any other information about Namikaze-san I could give to Terunori-senpai" he said, his smile not slipping one bit.

Fucking liar.

"Fuck you… can't fucking trust you with anything…" the infuriated blonde Italian mumbled venomously and shoved his phone back into his pocket and concentrated full throttle on his assignment. He decided to ignore the red-headed conniving _bastardo_ beside him for the rest of the day.

He will _beat his arse_ in this assignment if it was the last thing he did!

* * *

 **I hope that was a relaxing read :)** **I like how Takumi and Yukihira has this one-sided love-hate relationship.** **Well, even our Tootsuki students spend a chunk of time procrastinating before they do their assignment together hahaha! WE'RE ALL GUILTY OF THAT! Been a while since we saw the Polar Star members again :)**

 **Poor Ayame's got hickeys to deal with.** **I wonder what Takumi would do to beg forgiveness from Ayame if he found out about the hickeys. Make her 'apology Tiramisu' and hide behind the kitchen island while she's eating it or something. Not that she'll complain with free, restaurant quality Italian dessert thrusted at her. I don't know.**

 **I wonder how Kuga intends to apologise to Chizuru... what a long running guilt trip.**

 **Until next time, stay well!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	20. Uncoding Etsuya, Satoshi's Plan

_Chapter 20 – Uncoding Etsuya, Satoshi's Plan_

* * *

 _'Alright, what's next?'_

Erina flitted her violet eyes over the document Hisako put out for her this morning. Morning classes had been an utter bore but she powered through it. She was glad that summer was waning and the weather started to quell. The sun was more forgiving, bringing in a more comfortable temperature. The large elm trees rustled softly outside, brushing against the large window panes of her office. Erina enjoyed the free periods in the afternoon such as this because it allowed her to catch up on all her Elite Ten work. Lately she'd been distracted by thoughts of the second-rate chef Yukihira. Grrrr... Those things could sneak up on her if she wasn't careful and burying herself in work was the only way to remedy this. It was a good thing she had Hisako to help her out. She was a more than satisfactory assistant and Erina couldn't have been assigned someone better by _Ojii-sama._ A sense of pride swelled up inside her for Hisako. She was extremely loyal, selfless and nurturing. Always on top of things, helpful and looking after Erina, keeping the majority of the stress at bay. Hisako regarded her as her 'Empress' while she in turn regarded her as her right-hand woman or trusted advisor and confidante. She bet Alice's Kurokiba Ryou could never live up to those standards.

Erina stretched out the kink in her neck. According to the schedule Hisako typed up for her, she was supposed to meet a new employee of Tootsuki. Hiroka Sekito was the name. Hisako had told her one time that she had to help a person named 'Sekito-san' to reset his account password last week. According to her, he sounded like a bumbling fool who wouldn't know the difference between a computer and a television. Thank god for him, he came across someone as patient as Hisako to help him. This Hiroka Sekito was probably the one and the same according to Hisako and Erina agreed but she won't be here to confirm this, as she had requested permission to prepare for her spice seminar assignment as well as preparing for the Elite Ten competition. Not many people were born with the name 'Sekito'. She didn't expect anything less of her aide. Not only did Hisako excel in her culinary expertise and met her standards, but she was also exemplary in all things secretarial ranging from managerial to IT affairs.

Again, she bet Alice's Kurokiba Ryou couldn't live up to that.

Erina checked her desk clock. It was almost three in the afternoon.

' _President Kageura will be here soon'_

Erina picked up her terracotta teapot set and poured herself some ginseng and goji berry tea. It was a special blend Hisako developed specifically for her to rejuvenate her physical and mental strength. She breathed in the warmth and allowed the tendrils of steam clear her sinus. Despite only two ingredients, it had a complex, earthy aroma, only tea aficionados could fully appreciate. She placed her lips over the rim and sipped slowly, savouring it. Her body instantly warmed from the inside. The tea was steeped in the perfect amount of time. The bright sweetness of the goji berries was infused with the bitterness of dried, wild ginseng. She could see herself sitting in the lotus position in a sacred Shinto rice field, deep in the mountains away from the chaotic modern world. The mountain wind kissed her face as it dance through each individual rice stalk, making it sway and bend gently under its power. She inhaled the crisp, pure air and sighed, relaxing her shoulders, feeling the energy of the rice field fill her being. The taste was a harmonious balance and she could feel the meticulous care Hisako had put into carefully drying the ginseng and goji berries. The earthy sweetness layered beneath the bitter ginseng obliterated the tension she carried the whole day, like water flowing down for irrigating the holy rice fields. Suddenly, the sweet, sad sound of a _miko,_ or shrine maiden, singing and strumming the _shamisen_ made herself known as the wind carried the distant and ethereal voice across her sacred rice field. She couldn't pinpoint where the singing came from, for it echoed through her heart also. The oriental taste lingered on her tongue and palate as she swallowed the hot tea. Bitter-based tea was good tea. All of Hisako's tea had a bittersweet taste, as she knew any herb that was bitter meant it was medicinal and good for the body. She released a sigh. Yep, she could feel her strength returning.

 _Knock Knock_

"Excuse me Erina-sama, do you have a minute?"

Erina slowly opened her eyes.

"Ah, Kageura-san, please come in. I was expecting you."

Erina got up from her seat with utmost grace and strode over to the middle-aged, President Kageura by the open doorway and the other man he had in tow which she assumed was Hiroka Sekito. The president of the Shokugeki Administration Bureau, Kageura Hisanao, was once again in a snazzy, loud, patterned suit. This time it was the famous the _Great Wave off Kanagawa_ pattern all over him _._ The Prussian blue _tsunami_ waves were outlined with stark white and gold trimmings. The man was basically wrapped in _origami_ paper. Erina counted herself lucky that she didn't have 'God's Eye' otherwise she would have ordered the man to burn his wardrobe a long time ago. His clothes were normally a hit-and-miss, sometimes gaudy, sometimes tasteful. It's a wonder that no one asked him about unprofessional work attire yet because surely dazzling patterns were uncalled for at most times. The prim and proper man had some questionable fashion choices. Did he want everyone to faint from dizziness just from looking at him?

He pushed his new glasses up the bridge of is nose and cleared his throat. He bowed to her and stepped aside to give more room for the man beside him.

"Good afternoon Erina-sama, I hope you weren't too busy. I want to introduce Hiroka Sekito to you. I'm taking him to greet everyone. He is my new assistant and will be the Elite Ten's contact person for the Shokugeki Administration Bureau" said President Kageura.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nakiri-sama! I look forward to working with you and the rest of the Elite Ten" said Hiroka-san.

He bowed deeply before her and had to toddle backwards a bit to re-balance. She gave a small bow herself. He was a small, very porky man, probably in his mid-forties and was about the same height as she was. He had a booming belly voice that was deep and gruff like a Japanese Santa Claus. His face was a jolly red colour as if he did a lot of laughing in his time or was perpetually tipsy, either way both included utmost joy. He had wrinkles around his eyes and forehead, evidence of his aging and they folded deeper when he smiled widely. His stomach was very pronounce, exceeding over his belt line and he kept his tight suit jacket opened as it wouldn't close over properly anyway. He rested his plump hands on his belly, not by his side like President Kageura. His thinning hair and kind, brown eyes made her feel at ease. She had a good feeling about this man and was confident that he would do his job well.

"I look forward to that too. I trust you've had no further issues with your Tootsuki account? The password they issue us are quite confusing, so it is recommended to write them down somewhere safe" said Erina.

"Oh my! News travel fast, doesn't it? I'm honoured you know of me already Nakiri-sama. It's so funny, I could log-in to my account with no problems _before_ , and then suddenly I couldn't anymore! Even when I triple checked. But anyway, the IT Department was very helpful and gave me a new password and I managed to get back in" he boomed loudly, placing a pudgy hand on his round head as his shoulders shook with laughter.

"Yes I did hear about it, and I'm glad my assistant Hisako was able to help you out. She's a very reliable person and you can count on her should you need to get in touch with me" Erina smirked, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Hisako? Haha! It was Morimoto Mouza-san from the IT department. He was mighty helpful, but a little bit on the _otaku_ side though... I've never spoken to your assistant Hisako-san before, but I look forward to working with her too" he grinned widely and shared a cheerful and respectful look to President Kageura, who nodded happily.

Erina tilted her head. Not Hisako? But Hisako told her that she helped out a new employee named 'Sekito-san' reset his password, and this seemed like the right person according to his story. Could she have been mistaken somehow? Not likely, Hisako was very thorough and never got the details wrong in anything.

"Are you sure? My assistant told me she helped you out in the beginning of last week to reset your password over the phone" Erina pressed further, narrowing her eyes.

"Over the phone you say? I may be reaching half a century, young miss, but I do clearly remember visiting the IT people down in the basement over the weekend to fix this. Oh don't worry about it anymore Nakiri-sama, as long as I can log into my account again, I'm happy! Please take my card. It has my email address on it" Hiroka-san bowed once more, struggling a bit to do so as he presented to her his _meiji,_ or introduction card, and she received it with both hands too.

Erina felt a bit muddled, almost embarrassed. Hisako's and his story only added up halfway. She stuttered a thanks, trying to maintain her dignity as she couldn't get over what she just heard. She hated being wrong, especially when receiving second-hand information. There wasn't any lies in the man's kind eyes, his words were true to him as the sun was in the sky. President Kageura thanked her for her time and she reciprocated automatically as her mind played out what Hisako told her and compared it to what she just heard from Hiroka Sekito-san. When Erina finally closed her doors and returned to her plush seat, she stared at the business card in her hand. The thoughts gnawed at her stomach and she grunted. It didn't matter anymore, the issue was already resolved so she thought no more about it. If she remembered this sometime later, she'll ask Hisako about it.

* * *

Out of all the visits to Eizan-kun, this time it was the most nerve-racking.

Satoshi always found it difficult to relax on those plastic chairs supplied for the visitors' room in the police station. He loosened his school tie and rolled up the sleeves of his school dress shirt to relieve some of the humidity in the small square room. The box was concrete and battle ship grey. It only had a metal table and two plastic chairs. There wasn't even a window. Satoshi wasn't usually claustrophobic, but this small and dismal room with yellow artificial lighting did make him feel a bit like it. He found more comfort in crawling through the Polar Star Dorm ceilings in the middle of the night, filled with cobwebs and night critters than here. He sighed. Police visitors' room weren't supposed to look like this. Maybe back in the fifties or something, but it shouldn't look like a Western type cell. Even TV versions of interrogation rooms looked better. He had to drop his seventh seater duties today to come down to Central Tokyo and visit Eizan-kun. The ten-day extension granted by the public prosecutor was almost up. He had also spoken to the lawyers provided by Tootsuki and there was pretty much nothing else they could do, despite their best. Eizan-kun agreed to plead guilty and just accept his punishment. There was only now the preliminary hearing, away from the public's eyes. At least Tootsuki Culinary Academy would be away from the spotlight and unfortunately, Eizan will be sentenced for a maximum of five years in jail, but hopefully pleading guilty might reduce his sentence.

Satoshi got up from his seat when he heard footsteps zeroing in on the cold visitors' room.

"Alright, alright. Stop pushing…" came a voice.

He smoothed out his tie and craned his head to see a scowling Eizan-kun, scoffing at the warden as soon as they entered the room. He pushed Eizan-kun roughly into the seat opposite Satoshi before taking his leave, closing the door and standing guard outside.

"How are you feeling, Eizan-kun" asked Satoshi, smiling.

Eizan-kun briefly looked up and then to the side, like he didn't give a damn. He looked terrible. His face was pale and his eyes were red and sunken from lack of sleep behind his glasses. The seventh seater was starting to see some brown regrowth from his scalp as he no longer had the luxury of dying his hair blonde under the police's care. Also, with his hair gel no longer in his possession, his hair took on a more dull, brittle and unkempt appearance. It was very unlike the normally chilled and slick Eizan-kun, and it unsettled Satoshi to see him this way. His cheeks were hollow and he had large eye-bags. Eizan-kun continued to avoid eye contact. However he was gritting his teeth tightly and Satoshi sensed some animosity targeted at the rough warden earlier. These were stressful times and Satoshi didn't blame him. He couldn't imagine what Eizan-kun was going through and he didn't wish to. Satoshi knew Eizan-kun was going to get what was coming to him as soon as he had a strong inkling that he was dabbling in the stock markets, but he took no pleasure in seeing it.

"Not dead yet"

"Your hearing had been set up for next week. The Elite Ten are all going to be there for your support and also Senzaemon-dono will be flying back in as well. He'd been kept abreast of everything that's been happening. We're sorry we couldn't do any more for you, Eizan-kun" Satoshi managed to keep his voice leveled as always.

Eizan-kun flipped his head back and groaned "Yeah, yeah I already know. As long as the school is untarnished, that's all that matters right?"

"No, don't say it like that—"

"Don't worry, I'm not blaming you guys" he flopped his head back and rested one of his arm over the back of his plastic chair and crossed his legs as if he was behind his usual office desk.

Satoshi closed his mouth and continued smiling. It seemed like Eizan-kun was up to the acceptance stage. His body muscles were quite relaxed and not as tense like the other times Satoshi and the lawyers had visited. He was glad. He didn't want Eizan-kun to hold onto any malice to the police, because they were just doing their jobs.

"So what's been happening?" asked Eizan-kun.

"We've just had the Summer Solstice Festival. It was a huge success and everyone enjoyed themselves. Nakiri Alice came first in the Main Street Area over all and Nene-san came first in the Central Area"

"Good profit?"

Satoshi replied with only a wry smile. Eizan-kun already knew the answer to that. He did help plan the festival after all before he was arrested.

A moment of awkward silence fell upon them.

"Eizan-kun, do you—"

"Know anyone named _Nakamura Azami_ , Isshiki?" Eizan-kun cut him off. He continued to look off to the side and Satoshi swallowed his words and back tracked a bit. Nakamura Azami?

"No, I've never heard of them"

"What about _Nakiri Azami?_ "

"Nakiri? Not that name either. Although Nakiri-kun and Alice-san might. Why do you ask?" asked Satoshi a bit curious, referring to the Nakiri cousins.

Those were random questions. He thought for a moment. None of those names rung a bell, even the Nakiri name. As an Elite Ten, he had to know about all the members of the Nakiri family because they were the sole proprietor of the school. He'd never heard of a 'Nakiri Azami' during his stay at Tootsuki. Should he have? Eizan-kun shifted his position and leaned forward in his seat. He placed his forearms on the table slowly and deliberately. He clasped his hands together in front of him and hunched his back over the table slightly as if making a very tough business decision. The atmosphere changed into a serious and oppressive one, and it piqued his interest. Satoshi would say he knew Eizan-kun best out of all the Elite Ten, even if he only scratched the surface.

Satoshi was very observant and prided himself in it. He knew what made others tick and he knew their calling cards. Eizan-kun wasn't the only cunning genius on the Elite Ten.

This change in posture was one of Eizan-kun's calling cards.

' _He has something important he wants to say… but he can't'_

"Sounds like they are the same person with two different names"

"…"

So they were, then.

The brunette third year student mirrored Eizan-kun's position too, except lacing his fingers and placing in front of his mouth. The first step was to read his eyes. The blonde delinquent finally looked at him and it was steeled and filled with some sort of anticipation. They were locked on. They've done this a few times before back in first year high school, when he started up his consultation business. Satoshi would try to find out if it was legal or illegal and Eizan-kun would let him try and find out for his own amusement. This was first year high school all over again, but worse. Satoshi will play the game once more. He was going to have to try and decipher what it was he wanted to say to him

' _Alright then, lets see where this is headed.'_

"What's so important about Nakamura or Nakiri Azami?" he asked.

"…"

"Do you know this 'Nakamura or Nakiri Azami' yourself, Eizan-kun?" Satoshi returned another question.

"I don't know _anything_ about him" he said.

Him. It was a man. The brunette student leaned back against his seat and rubbed his chin, his eye never leaving the blonde student's impervious stare. _Something was very wrong._

Why would Eizan-kun give the name of a person he knew _nothing_ about? It was unlike him. Eizan-kun had no use for a name he knew nothing of. He researched the stuffing out of people so that he could find ways to suck money out of them, or add them to his client pool to make business with. Eizan-kun only bestowed his attention span on things and people that mattered to him, things that he could use to his advantage. By the vicious look on his face, Eizan-kun genuinely knew nothing of this Azami person, but he was playing that same childish game of _'I'm not saying'_ , but this time to make deliberate, indirect and cagey attempts to somehow pass on the importance of what he was trying to say to Satoshi. He could tell, he was cornered. But he was already in jail, where else could he be cornered? That worried him greatly. He desperately wanted Satoshi to know something, but a thick shadow was holding him back from speaking plainly to him. But what? Why? The answer must be within those names. How did he randomly come across these two names in the first place and why tell him about it _now_ and not _before?_

Satoshi felt his stomach drop.

The only answer was that Eizan-kun never heard of these names until _after_ he was arrested.

"Who gave you those names?" he resumed the same position again. Leaning forward, forearms on the table, finer laced together and looking Eizan-kun dead in the eyes, his heart beating faster.

 _Eizan-kun's jaw clenched._

"Okay, You can't tell me who… _Why?"_

"…"

"Are you trying to protect this person?"

"..."

"Are you protecting _yourself?"_

"…"

"Are you trying to protect _us_ "

"…"

"Maybe it's all three"

 _Eizan-kun relaxed his jaw._

Bullseye. Satoshi released a shaky breath. He was getting the hang of it again. If Eizan-kun was going through so much effort to keep his mouth shut like this, it meant he and the school had been _threatened_ by someone. Fear took hold of him. How? When? What relationship did he have with Eizan-kun? Whoever breathed those two names to Eizan-kun sounded like a dangerous person. That was the only plausible explanation for his strange behaviour. This didn't make a whole lot of sense and Satoshi desperately wanted to force the logic out of it. But right now, it wasn't possible. Especially if Eizan-kun was being too stubborn and incapacitated to tell him.

Cracks were starting to appear in the metaphorical wall. If Satoshi was staring at a solid wall, it was now sporting a small crack. He could see little flakes peeling off around the wound and wafting away to nothingness, making the crack in the wall a bit bigger. Satoshi had no idea what he would find behind the flaking crack, but he was sure it would continue to flake off in bigger pieces until the wall revealed a scenery that won't make sense to him. The whole picture. If Eizan was standing side by side with him, staring at the same wall with the same crack, he already knew what the scenery looked like. Satoshi would have to take the long way around, and wait for the crack to widen on its own or take arm with a sledgehammer and beat the wall down.

The draft coming from the crack in the wall smelled foul. He needed to take up the sledgehammer.

"This person… they threatened you and our school. Somehow they made contact with you during your detention here and had given you those two names… they want you to cover them from the police… or something. You want me to find out who this 'Nakiri or Nakamura Azami' is. Correct?"

 _Eizan-kun's eyes soften._

Satoshi smiled broadly in return. Another crack in the wall, but he still couldn't see past it. There was still swings of the sledge hammer he had to do. Despair and relief filled him. He didn't like where this was going one little bit, and it screamed at him that something bad was going to happen if he kept going down the path he set for him. At the same time, he was successfully deciphering Eizan-kun's silent message. But he looked like he was becoming increasingly desperate. One thing for certain now was that Tootsuki was in the line of fire. If Satoshi tried to think in the shoes of this mysterious person who threatened his classmate. _He wouldn't make a threat unless he could back it up._

"This mysterious person, who's made contact with you. _Will they be making contact with Tootsuki too?"_

"…"

Eizan-kun held a grim expression, but his eyes told him what he needed: _'Yes'_

 _'I see'_

Eizan-kun was naturally a selfish person, never thinking of others but himself, but he wasn't entirely uncaring, and Satoshi was sure he was the only student alive to see it. A lot of people underestimated the loyalty Eizan-kun had for the school. If the school was in danger, he was going to do everything he could to prevent that from happening. He took a deep breath.

"Eizan-kun, I understand someone's twisted your arm to keep silent and you're going through great lengths to wordlessly communicate to me that Tootsuki is caught in some impending, danger to do with this 'Azami Nakiri' or 'Azami Nakamura' person. I know you feel guilty about what you've done in getting the school tangled in this and you are trying to do some good to protect us from your mistakes. It's alright, _I forgive you._ But now it's a different matter altogether. What's important right now is that you could prevent this and all you need to do it tell me what's going on. What's going to happen. Who threatened you and why. Tell me who it is. The police could help you if you speak to them about it. This is no time to play the martyr. You're not alone. You need to cooperate, Eizan-kun"

"…"

Satoshi leaned back in his chair again and sighed deeply.

' _So he refuses to mention that information broker, Orihara Izaya, even to me. I wonder if Chief Inspector Shoseki thought this would be the outcome when he'd put me up to this, to extract his name'_

Eizan-kun flopped back onto his chair, he sighed and rubbed his head. "Check up on my mum for me will ya?" he said.

"Sure..."

"Alright. Warden-san, I'm ready to go back to my cell now"

That was it? Satoshi stood up as soon as the large metal door opened up and the warden escorted Eizan-kun back to the cell. He watched as he walked down the corridor without so much as a scuff of his shoes, just like the usual way he would walk arrogantly back down the school corridors, his head held high and hands stuffed in his pocket. He gave a casual backward wave as he disappeared around the corner like he always did when he thought he was done with a useless conversation. It made the brunette seventh seater smile sadly. Satoshi waved at his retreating back also. He genuinely pitied Eizan-kun. He was a man trying to repent.

The brunette student removed the wireless microphone from behind his tie and made his way over to one of the neighbouring rooms in the police building. He opened the door with a heavy and exhausted heart and was greeted by the sight of the crimson-haired superior police officer. It was Chief Inspector Shoseki. He was standing over a laptop with a pair of headphones hanging around his neck. He was dressed in the same suit as the day he and Special Detective Rii came to interview Aldini-kun and a few other students, except with a different coloured tie.

"Come on in Isshiki-kun. Well done in there. Don't look so down." said the Chief Inspector in a jovial voice. He still wore a medical eye patch and he smiled at him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to get Eizan-kun to confirm his association with Orihara Izaya, sir. Even when you went through the trouble of helping me prepare" said Satoshi as he bowed deeply at the tall police officer and handed over the wireless microphone.

"That's okay, not everything goes to plan. Silence tells us a lot of things, you know?" he smiled. "Nakiri Azami' huh? Well, we got some homework to do"

Satoshi watched as the one-eyed police officer finish transferring the audio file of his and Eizan-kun's conversation from the laptop to the memory stick, attained from the hidden wireless microphone he clipped to Satoshi's school neck-tie and shut down the laptop.

"I have to ask before I leave, if that's alright. How did you know Eizan-kun was going to make a possible confession today out of all days?" asked Satoshi.

"Interesting question. Simply because he asked me when you were allowed to come to visit him next"

Satoshi widened his eyes. "He… asked for me?"

"Yeah. That's when we knew he was going to tell you something. Lots of prisoners do that. He'd been acting strange all week too, keeping to himself, not talking to any of us. You and I both know him well. He doesn't ask for something unless he is desperate and he will do it in the most roundabout way."

"I see. That's why you asked if I could visit him today because you thought he was going to confess Orihara's name to me, and gave me the wireless microphone, so you could tap in… You need the solid evidence" Satoshi mused aloud.

Chief Inspector Shoseki was right on the money about Eizan-kun. He had great experience in knowing how people's mind worked, as expected on a top ranking police officer. It took Satoshi years to break through Eizan's wall and try to understand him, whereas it only took the Chief Inspector a few weeks.

"Sometimes talking to friends is better than talking to us. But yeah, given by the look of things, Orihara must've paid him an unauthorised visit behind our backs, that slippery bastard" the Chief Inspector sighed and shook his head.

"I need to debrief with my partners this afternoon. Let us know as soon as someone unfamiliar makes contact with the school. Orihara may do it himself, or he might use a proxy. You best be vigilant. We highly suspect that he will try to infiltrate Tootsuki to get his hands on sensitive information and sell it, since that's what he does best. With today's revelation, 'Nakiri Azami' or 'Nakamura Azami' could possibly be one of Tootsuki's hidden secrets he's in possession of and if that's the case, then he's _already_ infiltrated the school. Or he could be a new client. Who knows. We need to find out" said Chief Inspector Shoseki.

Already infiltrated?! How could that be possible? This was unforgivable. Orihara Izaya was unforgivable.

 _'Damn it'_

Satoshi felt sick. If mentioning Nakamura or Nakiri Azami was enough to put a muzzle on Eizan-kun, then it must be a devastating secret, which the information broker had already stolen and was using it as a bargaining chip to keep Eizan-kun silent. On the other hand, if the other theory was correct, Nakamura or Nakiri Azami might be a cut-off or less well-known _outside_ Nakiri who hired the information broker to retrieve _inside_ information to strike at the underbelly. Why else would he hire an underground information broker? Was it for revenge? Was it for usurping? Both? The information broker could be using this golden opportunity for himself to hold Eizan-kun's tongue as a bonus. This was dark waters and he needed to speak to Senzaemon-dono as soon as he arrived back to Tokyo.

 _'No, these are only hypothetical. There are too many 'ifs' and 'maybes' I can't lose my head over this'_

"Thank you for your time Isshiki-kun. Expect us to pay you a visit again. Looking forward to your cooperation again" said the Chief Inspector.

The crimson-haired Chief Inspector kindly escorted him out of the detention halls and up to the large front door of the police building. Once Satoshi was back on ground level, the busy colours and incessant traffic and pedestrian noises hit him with full force. He forgot he was slap-bang in the centre of Tokyo CBD, where the headquarters of TMPD was located. The detention level was so quiet, probably sound proof. He made his way to the nearest bullet train station to start his journey back to Tootsuki.

He needed to think. He needed to think fast. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Most importantly, he needed to conduct his own investigation too. This was what Eizan-kun wanted him to do. Find out who 'Nakiri Azami' or 'Nakamura Azami' was and what was his connection Tootsuki and or the information broker. He definitely had to set up a meeting with the Nakiri Cousins. Eizan-kun had no idea the police already knew about the information broker, otherwise why else would he 'speak' so cryptically. Eizan-kun was scared of the police finding out, and if he knew they did, the illegal information broker will eventually find out too. Then nothing will stop him from making his threat come true. But it was too late, the police were already onto it. The Chief inspector had instructed him under _no circumstances_ to not to let Eizan-kun know this, to keep things simple.

Satoshi was an extremely intelligent, and cunning young man. He didn't get to the Elite Ten by pure talent. He was confident he could work through this. He just needed the rest of the Elite Ten to help him on it as he knew he couldn't do this alone. Right now, he needed to tighten Tootsuki's internal and external security. Have the officials and the Elite Ten keep an eye out for any suspicious activities, especially for the computer mainframes, phone conversations, visitors. Everything. He wasn't going to let this Orihara Izaya or the chance of this mysterious Nakiri person screw with the school like Eizan-kun. Satoshi stared out the bullet train window whipping past him at breakneck speed.

How to do this while organising the Elite Ten competition at the same time… there was no way he could delay it.

 _'The faster we fill those vacant seats, the more people I'll have to help me'_

He needed to come up with something over the coming days and the weekend.

* * *

Takumi was having second thoughts about this. It was the weekend again and he'd finally finished his preliminary research for Royal medieval Spanish food. Now he was up to the stage of concocting the perfect recipe to reflect all his hard work. He re-assured himself at a good stage, he wasn't chasing any deadlines and he'd been keeping his cooking skills sharp and deadly with plenty of independent practice times for the Elite Ten competition.

So why the _Diavolo_ was he sitting in the front seat of a black sedan, belonging to the scariest person on the planet…?

"Stop fidgeting, or do you want me to throw you in the fucking boot?"

"S-Sorry sir!" he yelped.

" _Otou-san…_ please stop it" said Ayame from the back seat.

"Tch"

He willed his body to stop moving. Ayame had invited him to join her in visiting her grandfather. He was on her father's side and that spoke volumes already. He had said yes and was curious about what her father's father would be like. Would be just like him? Worse or better? He hoped deeply he was better. She told him it was the same grandfather that inspired her to become a mechanical and _robotica_ engineer whom his engineering team worked together during World War Two to keep the train systems running despite the catastrophic atomic bombs when they first sat down together at the _Cioccolatini_ café. He was a hero in Ayame's eyes.

She told him he was currently looked after by a government home carer, paid by the Kanda family, for the majority of his elderly life. Of course he would be honoured to meet her grandfather and was more than nervous. This was a step-up from meeting 'the parents' and Takumi made sure he dressed respectfully and appropriately and his hair was done right. As soon as she said her father was going to come along too, everything looked like choppy seas and whirlpools filled with starving krakens.

Once the blonde Italian's legs stopped fidgeting entirely, he starting fingering one of the buttons on his waistcoat as if it were a rosary bead. He continued to pray in his head that the Superintendent General, aka her father wouldn't maim him at some point during the visit.

He could see the sword, glistening in the light, next to his foot. He probably purposely put it there, right next to Takumi as a constant reminder. Her father practically ordered him to sit in the front seat, so that he could 'keep an eye on him'. Takumi was about to assure him that it was okay, he could sit in the back and Ayame could sit in the front but he chose to keep his mouth closed to avoid getting his tongue cut off. Why did he carry around a _samurai_ sword anyway? Wasn't it illegal in Japan nowadays? Oh wait. Her father practically sat on the law… That was another mystery he was too scared to ask him, but would rather ask Ayame instead.

He turned his attention to the side mirror. He could see Ayame reflected in there as she sat in the backseat and she looked especially cute today. She wore a nice yellow dress with floral patterns, and a thick black belt around the middle. Her hair was loosely braided to the side so that it looked light and natural. As always, he couldn't stop staring at his _amore._

Was she wearing a bit of make-up?

Soon they arrived at her grandfather's home. The black sedan rolled smoothly into the driveway. It looked small and cosy. It was a two story house with a small front yard filled with beautiful plants. Some were in bloom, but most were starting to turn golden and brown, getting ready for the coming Autumn. The lawn was very green and looked fresh and healthy. He guessed the Kanda family also paid for a gardener to maintain the gardens too.

"Get out of the car, I'm going to park somewhere else" said her father in a gruff voice.

"Okay, let's go Takumi-kun"

"Y-Yes…"

Takumi and Ayame alighted from the black sedan and watched as her father pulled away to find another parking sport. The street was packed with parked cars and it looked like he might need to drive further up the street to find a decent spot. Once he was sure the Superintendant General was gone from his sight, he took hold of Ayame's hand and kissed her cheek. She blushed and gave him a peck on the lips too. He wanted to do that as soon as he saw her this morning and didn't get the chance. Now he did and he was happy. They both strolled up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

" _Ojii-san's_ carer has taken the shift off today and won't be back until tomorrow. That's why _Otou-san_ and I are here. Umm…"

"Yes, what is it?" Takumi tilted his head to the side.

She was chewing her lips again and he wanted to reach out and stroke it, but resisted. What did she want to tell him?

"There's something you should know about _Ojii-san!_ Umm… whatever he might say to you, please don't be offended. If he makes a comment on your hair colour, your eye colour… or your skin colour and in general says something rude. Please don't take it to heart! It's just… he's like that… and he can't really help himself and has trouble monitoring what he says… it's not entirely his fault… I'm sorry for not telling you earlier…" Ayame looked down at her shoes, nervously tightening and loosening her hands from his.

Takumi was thoroughly confused. She was painting her grandfather as some sort of cranky, tough, uncouth and scary old man, much like her father actually. It probably wouldn't make a difference if she told him earlier or not. He knew her father was a police officer beforehand and look at how that turned out. He still felt like walking on a knife's edge. Takumi and Isami had come across a few people who judged them on their half-Japanese and half-Italian lineage before and had tawdry comments thrown at them, and they head-butted those people more times than they could remember thanks to their hot-blooded Italian side. Ayame was standing in front of him looking quite scared and apologetic. He didn't like to see his _amore_ like that.

"I'm sure it's nothing I can't handle" he said.

He considered this was probably a man in his seventies, eighties or nineties, so it was possible he retained traditionalist Japanese thoughts, which he guessed was common in the older population. Takumi understood that the patriotism for 'The Land of the Rising Sun' of the older generation was phenomenal, and some may not take too kindly to foreigners. If Ayame's grandfather had iron-clad traditionalist views, then so be it. He was currently in training to at least speak without stuttering around her father who basically lived his life by the _bushido_ , so he will pour in the same dedication with her grandfather. Takumi was bound to meet him at some point, so he guessed it was better sooner than later. The important thing was that he remained courteous, regardless if he won both of Ayame's important male figures in her life's approval or not.

He smiled and tilted her chin to look up at him. "He can't be worse than your father, no offense. But why would he make such comments at me?" he said as gently as possible.

"Well, the reason is… _Ojii-san_ has dementia and well… he still thinks its World War Two…"

* * *

 **Takumi is going to be in a heck of a ride! If he thought Ayame's dad was a piece of work, wait until he meets Grandfather Kanda... Her grandfather's condition is based on a real person**

 **OH! SO close! Isshiki and Chief Inspector Shoseki ALMOST landed upon the truth. I want to yell at them "Orihara has already hacked the system! And it's Hisako's fault!" How soon before Isshiki finds out? You guys already know what Orihara Izaya the info broker is planning, but illustrating how Isshiki figures out Eizan's cryptic warning using only his intelligence, reasoning, his cunning and wit alone was quite an experience.**

 **I don't think Erina is a tsundere bitch 24 hours a day (except on special occasions). I'm sure her governess taught her proper manners, respect and social etiquette when speaking to someone older than herself. I hope it's not surprising to see her amiable in this chapter.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Signing off**

 **\- TripWire-dono**


	21. Meeting Her Grandfather

_Chapter 21 – Meeting Her Grandfather_

* * *

"Your… grandfather still believes Japan… is at war…"

She nodded.

He let that sink in for a few moments. Takumi took a deep breath and tried his best not to freak out in front of her, lest he sounded extremely rude. What did she mean when she said, he would comment on his hair, eye and _skin colour?_ Okay. He could handle this. He could _totally_ handle this. The trick was probably to just nod if any references were made about the Japanese war effort, and maybe not take him too seriously if he made unfavourable comments on his European appearance. Not that Takumi thought he would actually do so and he was pretty sure, despite her grandfather's dementia that he wasn't a racist at heart! Maybe just a tad… prejudice? If he was going to do a search for the correct terminology without thinking offensively, he failed at it. His aging mind was just stuck in the past, as is the rest of his perspective but that was none of his fault, just probably the dementia talking. He'd never met a person with dementia before and was at a complete loss as to how he should talk to such a person.

"Just talk to him normally like you would with any other person" said Ayame.

Takumi wondered if she read his thoughts. "Right"

"It'll be okay" she took his hand and stroked her thumb over his fingers.

The Italian blonde straightened his posture and gulped. He felt his heart race at the prospect of meeting her grandfather, the patriarch of her family. His hopes for being accepted into her family was dwindling the more he thought about it. The Superintendent general was one boss monster he had to try and get over, now there were probably two. He pursed his lips and nodded at her, making sure that all his _amore_ would see from him was utter confidence and _not_ how nervous he was. His _Mamma_ told him 'nervousness' was a good sign. It meant he held great respect for Ayame's family. Only 'The Stupid' held no fear or were over-confident. He was scared. Not because he would meet an elderly Japanese gentleman who might make unfiltered comments on his half-European and half-Japanese looks, but because he was Ayame's _grandfather._

Ayame rang the bell.

" _Yeah Yeah! I'm coming!"_

Takumi tuned his ears to the gruff and raspy voice behind the door. Already her grandfather sounded cranky and Takumi didn't think this was looking good. The door creaked open but stopped short with a sharp clink as the chain lock was in place and behind the gap in the door was an elderly man, about the same height as Isami peering suspiciously through. His beady eyes were glazed with a sort of dull colour Takumi often saw in old people who were slowly losing their eyesight. This had to be Ayame's grandfather. His eyes darted up and down at Ayame for a few seconds before he grunted and unhooked the chain with tremouring fingers.

"Ah Kyoko-chan, you're looking underweight as ever. Food getting too expensive for you these days?" he scoffed and moved aside, leaving Ayame to push the door open for the two of them.

"No _Ojii-san_. It's me, Ayame, your grand-daughter. Kyoko is my mum, your daughter-in-law. I do look a lot like her though" she said and chuckled. It sounded like she had probably said this many times before to her grandfather.

 _'Underweight? I've been feeding her every week!'_

"Ah yeah. Sure, sure…" he leaned down and inspected Ayame's face while she continued to smile at him. Once he seemed satisfied that he remembered his grand-daughter, he broke into a wide grin, filled with yellowing teeth and gave her a hug as big as his frail body could handle.

Takumi took off his sun glasses and tucked them into his waistcoat pocket. He removed his shoes properly at the _genkan_ and lined it up next to Ayame's. He was about to greet her grandfather and introduce himself before he was cut off.

"How's middle school? Have they built a bomb shelter yet?" said her grandfather whilst picking his ear.

"I'm in second year high school now _Ojii-san,_ I graduated middle school two years ago"

"And that's the way it gotta be! No doubt about it. Nothing more honourable than finishing school. But now those hips of yours are wide enough for child-bearing and you don't want those eggs to get dusty. Don't leave yourself for too long or no man will want ya. When are you going to bring home a husband aye?"

Takumi and Ayame's face grew red very quickly. That was _full frontal_ conversation. He did _not_ just say that! This was probably what Ayame was talking about when she said he had dementia. His memory seemed all jumbled up or lost, he didn't even recognise his own grand-daughter at first. Takumi stood behind Ayame at an angle and it did not seem like her grandfather even noticed him yet. In fact, he seemed to be staring off into space or over the side. The house inside was quite dark and all the blinds and curtains had been pulled shut. The house smelled like an over-abundance of tea of many varieties. It was relatively clean inside which he once again assumed that the Kanda family payed for cleaners to come in to clean the place and make sure Ayame's grandfather was living hygienically. Aside from the cleanliness, there were lots of photos on the walls. There were many black and white ones and also coloured ones signifying more recent things. Clearly, the black and white were of her grandfather's younger days, when he was an engineer, including his friends and immediate family members and his parents. The more recent coloured ones had a few of Ayame, her father and her mother. But there were also other family members he hadn't met yet. There were so many, it covered a _whole_ wall.

Takumi's own house back in _Firenze_ only had a handful of photos. But then again, he didn't know what it was like to forget the faces of his close family and friends…

"About that _Ojii-san…_ "

"Where's that idiot son of mine?! Is he still running off trying to be a _samurai_ overseas or something? He should know better that fighting from our homeland soil is the best way to contribute to the war effort! _Kami_ bless our Emperor Hirohito"

Did he just call Ayame's father, his own son, an _idiot?_

"No, No. _Otou-san's_ working as a police officer up in the city. He's finished his service with the JSDF already. The war's been over for many years now. Everything is peaceful. _Ojii-san_ , I want to introduce to you—"

"Ha! What is that JSDF nonesense? The war ain't over, not by a long shot. That's what those _Yankees_ want you to think. No, Kyoko-chan. The war has only begun. Fixing the train system on time was one thing, but we're not going to let those Capitalist dogs drop a third bomb. We're going to get them..." her grandfather clasped his hands behind his back and toddled over to the living room, muttering more things under his breath.

"No one's going to drop any bombs on anyone. Anyway, I want you to meet-" said Ayame, like whatever he said didn't bother her at all.

"Ha! That idiot son of mine is worth more trouble than being covered with honey and staked on an ant farm" he continued on his tirade, shaking his fist about.

His words were very bold and daring, and Takumi didn't know if he could match up to it. He watched their exchange and wondered when would be a good time to make himself known. The elderly man literally didn't noticed there was a third person in the room as he was entirely focused on Ayame, whom he'd been calling 'Kyoko-chan'. Takumi wasn't used to _not_ being noticed. If anything, he and Isami always stood out like a retro neon sign, so he found this feeling quite eerie and strange. It was now or never. He needed to be a man about this, despite what Ayame said. Her grandfather may have dementia and thought World War Two was still in situ, but god damn him if he left his manners behind at the front door. _Mamma_ always told him to introduce himself properly to elders as first impressions was lasting impressions.

"Excuse me. Good morning! M-My name is T-Takumi Aldini. I'm Ayame's boyfriend. It's a pleasure to m-meet you" He bowed deeply at her grandfather before he got too far away.

There was a thick silence.

He gingerly looked up. Ayame face-palmed.

' _Did I… overstep?!'_

"What the hell? Is that _a ghost_ in my living room?!"

Takumi flew backwards as the elderly man turned back on his heels and yelled at him. His face transformed into a crumpled sneering expression with murderous intent in his eyes, so much like the Superintendent General when they first met. Now he had Ayame's grandfather's undivided attention and he was instantly regretting it. The elderly gentleman was as equally surprised as was Takumi, but a lot angrier. He advanced towards him, his hands behind his hunching back again, and pushed himself into Takumi's personal space.

"How'd you get in here you damn _Yankee?!_ You ain't getting any of our country secrets! You blue-eyed, blonde-haired _gaijin_ better skedaddle before I call my buddy on you! He's got connections with the army!"

" _Ojii-san!"_

"You have the balls to come in here! Go back to your country you time-wasting bastard!"

"Wait! Let me explain!" Ayame rushed to Takumi's side and held up her hands at her grandfather trying to quell his fury, but he was having none of that. Takumi scrambled backwards. What the hell just happened?!

"O-Oi! You got it all wrong! I'm not American!—"

"Oh? You speak Japanese pretty good. You trained by the CIA or something? Sent here to infiltrate, blend in and do some rotten espionage?! Isn't it enough you bombed our cities?! You _Yankees_ make me sick. I oughta—"

"No! I'm Italian! _Italian!"_

Takumi was backed into the door by the not-so-fragile looking old man, and was about to trip backwards and onto the porch, but grabbed the door jamb just in time. He fearfully looked over the scary grandfather's shoulders as Ayame continued to try and calm her grandfather down, but with little success.

"Aye?!"

"I'm Italian!"

" _Aye?!"_

" _Italian!"_

" _AYE?!"_

" _ITALIAN!"_

"Italian? Good lord, you're with them Nazi's aye? See, you got it written all over your face. But you're still a _gaijin, and we don't like foreigners_ "

"Okay, that's enough _Ojii-san._ This is Takumi-kun, my boyfriend. Don't worry, he is _not_ a CIA spy nor is he a Nazi and he _never_ will be" Ayame finally stepped her foot down as he was at his last finger gripping the door jamb before her grandfather shoved him out the house with his words. She puffed out her cheeks and her grandfather merely scoffed at her. He felt his insides shaking with so much terror and anxiety. He also felt guilty and wanted to say 'sorry for everything' but had absolutely no idea what for.

"Your husband? What rubbish is this? We'll see what my idiot son has to say about this… Where's that idiot son of mine?! Is he still running off trying to be _samurai_ oversees or something? He should know better that fighting from our homeland soil is the best way to contribute to the war effort! _Kami_ bless our Emperor Hirohito"

Her grandfather skulked off into the kitchen, repeating phrases under his breath.

"Woah…" said Takumi.

"Yeah, that's _Ojii-san_ for you. Turned out better than I thought!" Ayame beamed at him.

"What exactly _were_ you expecting?" Takumi growled at her, patting his hair down.

His face was all sweaty from the intimidation alone, and he felt flushed and heated like in a sauna. He decided, hands down, that being around the Superintendent General was a lot more tolerable compared to her tiger-like grandfather. At least _he_ didn't raise his voice so much. Not only did he screw up his introduction to her grandfather, he was on the verge of being backhanded, forehanded and slapped upside the head by an elderly man before being thrown out onto the streets because he thought he was a Nazi-sympathiser or an American spy sent by the CIA to infiltrate Japan! And Ayame had the gall to think it wasn't as bad as she thought. He grabbed her cheeks and pinched them hard and relished in delight as she whimpered cutely and made weird noises. That ought to do it.

"Aya…" she rubbed her cheeks.

Takumi felt a different pang of guilt. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. But that was all she was going to get.

"Kyoko-chan! Get me some _sake!"_ came that yelling again from the kitchen.

"It's Ayame, _Ojii-san!"_

"Do as you're told!"

Ayame sighed and they both walked into the kitchen before the scream-fest could continue. Despite being an old man, her grandfather must have a huge set of lungs if he was able to yell this much, and this loudly for this long. He didn't even wheeze. The kitchen was a bit less tidy. Now he knew where the smell of tea came from. There were numerous open canisters filled with tea leaves all over the place, and baking paper with piles of tea leaves and small flowers sitting out. It seemed like they were meant to be drying. He noticed immediately a humungous weekly calendar on the fridge with very large writing in a few squares. There was a scheduled appointment with the dentist, a meeting with the local _shogi_ club, something with the doctor and finally there was _'Yuu and Ayame visiting, 10:00'_ written on today's date surrounded by a texta outline as a star. So her father's name was Kanda _Yuu_. He never asked. The more he looked around, the more he saw lots of large sheets of paper stuck around with general reminders like closing the fridge door properly, turning the taps off, taking his medicine and many others. They were all in really large writing, probably to compensate for his declining memory and poor eyesight.

Her grandfather's head was balding and scattered with brown and orange age spots, as was his skin which were leathery looking. He groped the top of the microwave where his glasses were, and placed his small, round spectacles over his eyes. His eyes were sunken deep into his skull, surrounded by deep, dark eye bags. He looked like one of those overworked Japanese philosophers or university professors. Then he remembered his old man used to be a chief engineer who saved the Japanese train lines when the atomic bombs hit. What was left of his greying hair was tied off in a ponytail, which reached passed his shoulders and was tied off with a piece of twine. He had a huge aquiline nose and a thick, grey goatee, making him look all the wiser, like some sort of Japanese wizard. When he sat at the table, waiting for his _sake_ , he bent down and grabbed his ankles with his long spindly fingers, pulling them up so that he could sit cross legged on the chair. Then he tucked his hands into his long, flowing sleeves.

"What are you staring at?"

"N-Nothing sir"

"Just because my grand-daughter downgraded herself to settle with a _gaijin_ doesn't mean I accept you at all. I see right through you, you CIA spy. Do me a favour and fetch my monkey wrench so I can _beat_ you with it and then have the pleasure of shipping your ghost-white body back to your _Yankee_ higher-ups"

" _I'm Italian..."_

" _Ojii-san, Okaa-san_ and _Otou-san_ are completely fine with Takumi-kun. It's normal to be with non-Japanese nationals _like Italians,_ these days you know. He's half Japanese and half Italian actually" said Ayame, placing a bottle of _sake_ before her grandfather with the matching _sake_ cup.

The blonde Italian was about to comment how her father was _not_ fine with it but chose to hold his tongue as saying that wouldn't help his case.

"Half-caste boy aye? I don't know if that's worse, or better. But I still don't like you… even if we are allied to the Germans and Italians" her grandfather chugged straight from the bottle and ignored the cup, staring at Takumi with narrowed eyes while he stood like a dummy in front of the table thinking back to his World War Two history, trying to link how Japan was allied with Germany and Italy.

"Sit down. You look like a decoration I want to smash"

"Yes sir…" Takumi slid into the seat in front of him. He shoved his hands between his legs to stop himself from shaking and continued to sweat through the back of his neck. He didn't dare look at the grandfather in the eyes, for fear of being vilified again. So he concentrated on a canister of _Sencha_ sitting on the table.

"Takumi-kun is a chef specialising in Italian food and is continuing his education at Tootsuki Culinary School. He's really good and his food is amazing." said Ayame.

She sat down beside Takumi and grinned at her grandfather. Ayame had a disarming smile that made people relax and meld into doing whatever she wanted and Takumi had been on the receiving end of it a couple of times, like being coaxed to come over to cook her dinner, not that he found any complaints with that. It looked like her grandfather was affected by it too, from the way his eyes soften slightly, but it was still not enough because he grumbled and grunted when he took another swig from his _sake_ bottle. He had an idea! Maybe he could impress him with his cooking!

"That's right sir. If you would like, I could prepare something for you to eat for lunch" Takumi smiled at him.

"No. I ain't eating no _gaijin_ shi-"

"What a good idea! Did you hear that _Ojii-san?_ Takumi-kun can make Japanese food too. Right?" Ayame glanced over at Takumi, looking like she was catching onto his plan.

"Y-Yes. If you're more comfortable with traditional Japanese food, I'm more than honoured to make some for you" said Takumi.

He felt with Ayame by his side, his strength rose higher. He could do this. He could show her grandfather what he was worthy of Ayame, after all, food was universal and the way to anyone's soul. People bonded over food in every occasion no matter how casual or formal. Every culture from every civilisation or country they emerge from, always involved food for familial or community bonding. Also, if he could surpass her grandfather, he would have the Superintendent General in the bag.

"You can make Japanese food huh?" he leaned back and folded his hands back into his sleeve. He scrutinised Takumi through his small round spectacles. He hoped to the Roman gods that he was re-evaluating his opinion about him. This was it, Takumi was in it to win it.

"Yes. My father is Japanese and also a an accomplished chef. He taught me everything he knew" said Takumi.

" _Tch"_

"Takumi-kun taught me how to make fried fish one time and I made it for _Otou-san_ for his birthday. He quite liked it" Ayame nodded, also trying to convince her grandfather that Takumi was the real-deal.

"Where's that idiot son of mine?! Is he still running off trying to be _samurai_ oversees or something? He should know better that fighting from our homeland soil is the best way to contribute to the war effort! _Kami_ bless our Emperor Hirohito" her grandfather slammed his fist on the table making Takumi jump in his seat. He jerked his head this way and that, as if actually looking for him.

"Hmm… _Otou-san_ isn't here yet. What's taking him so long?" asked Ayame under her breath, tapping her chin.

Takumi shrugged.

A loud and shrill clucking sliced through the air, making everyone turn around towards the backyard.

"Blasted! My chickens have escaped! Dang it, they keep trying to roost on top of my bomb-shelter and the _Buick!_ Kyoko-chan, give me a hand and round them up for me. They shit all over it and I'm not in the mood to clean it" her grandfather got up and toddled at an insane pace towards the backyard. Takumi craned his neck to look over the window to see that a whole flock of chickens were indeed roaming free in the backyard. Some really plump, brown hens were already attempting to roost on top of a really low shed, which looked suspiciously like a bunker.

' _Did he build that…bomb-shelter…himself?'_

Ayame got up to follow her grandfather, frantically telling him not to step outside with the house slippers but he ignored her. The elder man threw his arms widely in the air to get the chickens off his 'bomb-shelter' and broken down, rusted over _Buick_ which was pretty much embedded in the grass.

"You! Don't just stand there! Go find my wife. Nanao is around here somewhere" he jabbed a finger at Takumi who stopped in mid-run, intending to help usher the chickens back into their coop. Ayame was already flapping her hands to get them running in a large flock towards the coop entrance for her to take notice of him.

"R-Right"

Takumi ran back inside the house and realised he had no idea where to start looking. He dare not look upstairs as it was rude to go upstairs without the hosts' permission in an Asian home. Instead, he decided to do a quick search for an old lady in the downstairs rooms. He checked what looked like the laundry, then the downstairs bathroom and finally regrouped back into the living room.

' _What a minute… if his wife was inside the house, shouldn't I have already met her?'_

Takumi scratched the back of his head, utterly confused. He looked this way and that and thought about what he should do. Maybe she wasn't at home and had gone out. Ayame's grandfather probably hadn't remembered.

" _What the fuck are you doing?"_

"WAHH!"

He jolted on the spot as if being struck by a lightening bold. He spun around and was met face-to-chest with a white dress shirt with large arms crossed over it. It was Ayame's father! Where the _Diavolo_ had he been all this time! Surely it didn't take that long to find parking. He didn't even hear him come into the house. Takumi recomposed himself and smoothed out his waistcoat. Her father continued to glower at him waiting for an answer.

"Umm… A-Ayame's grandfather asked me to find his wife… Where did you go?" asked Takumi.

Her father continued to stare at him with cold, hard eyes for a long while before sucking his teeth. He nodded his head to the side.

"You can stop. It's pointless" his voice was low, but wasn't harsh. He payed no heed to the second part of his question.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"That's her, over there" he nodded his head up high to the side.

Takumi looked around in the direction he nodded towards and spotted a small red altar in an alcove which he hadn't noticed before. It was obscurely placed, so that it wasn't in anyone's field of vision if they first entered the living room. Takumi blinked rapidly as he moved closer to get a better look. He was more than confused now. In the middle of the red alter was a pot of used up incense and a black and white picture of a beautiful lady in a _kimono_.

"You look like you've never seen a death portrait before" said Ayame's father.

He felt like cold water was dumped over his head and then electrocuted. Chilling realisation dawned on him. Takumi honestly never had seen a death portrait. He heard about it from _Pappa_ as his Japanese grandparents were deceased. But his father never had their portraits displayed around the house with an altar. It was almost surreal, to be staring at the image of a person whom he just believed was alive and somewhere in the house, only to find out that…

 _She was already dead._

"Old geezer doesn't remember she's already long gone and cremated"

"Then how does he—"

"He sometimes remembers on his own or someone reminds him. It's a pain to manage because he breaks down every time. Then he forgets again and the vicious cycle repeats"

That was horrible. For a man to forget that his soulmate no longer walked the Earth and then to be reminded of that devastating memory each time he forgot, as if it were the first time he heard it. To re-live that pain all over again, and again, and again must be truly heart-wrenching. Takumi couldn't imagine what that would be like, and nor could he imagine what the person who had to _tell_ him went through too. Was this the life of a person whose mind was eaten away by dementia? It was a cruel way to go. All of one's memories, identity and sense of reality stolen away as they slowly deteriorated, until there was nothing left. The _only_ memories he was able to retain were that of war-torn Japan, just after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was something any human being shouldn't have to live with. He wondered what Ayame's grandfather saw when he looked at himself in the mirror. Did he see an old aging, almost decrepit man looking back? Or still a young, strong, virile chief engineer from a time long gone past?

"How long…" asked Takumi.

"Over seven years now" said Ayame's father.

' _Cristo… seven years'_

His voice lost that animosity that Takumi was so familiar with and it was just plain and monotone, but still deep and low.

"I stop reminding him now when he won't quit asking where she is"

Takumi looked up at Ayame's father. His eyes were clouded over and unreadable as he stared at the portrait of his mother, Ayame's grandmother in the altar. His brows looked less severe, more relaxed. Takumi turned back to the death portrait in the altar, Ayame's grandmother, her father's mother. She didn't smile in the photo, as it wasn't customary to do so back in those times. She was very young, her skin was white as porcelain and her eyes were beautifully shaped. She was a real beauty.

' _All this time. Kanda-san was the one who had to continuously break the news to his father… that his mother is already dead'_

Takumi didn't feel so afraid anymore, but rather filled with sorrow.

"Ah! There you are you brat! Have you been out smoking again, Yuu?!"

Takumi jerked around as Ayame's father sighed and gripped his forehead. Ayame was holding her grandfather's arms as he toddled back into the living room. It looked like rounding up the chickens were a success, but her clothes had feathers stuck in them. It was pretty cute. She slowly shuffled alongside her grandfather making sure he didn't trip or fall.

"I don't smoke, you old fart!"

"Ha! As if. I found match sticks in your clothes. Wait until I tell your mother. She'll sort you out"

"Tch" Ayame's father clenched his fists and briskly strode towards the kitchen. "Do us all a favour old man and just drink one of your billion types of tea" he disappeared around the corner, his long midnight blue hair flicking past as he rounded the corner.

"And you! What do you think you're doing! You're supposed to be helping grab the chickens!" he yelled at Takumi-kun.

"Ah! B-But I was—You said-!"

' _Merda!'_

"I mean… I was looking for Kanda-san…"

' _Saved!'_

"Yeah right, slacking off. Kyoko-chan, be a sweetie and get my radio for me will you? I don't want to miss the war correspondence" said Ayame's grandfather, shuffling off towards the kitchen, shaking his head at Takumi as if he was a huge disappointment.

"Sure _Ojii-san_ " she said.

He shook Ayame off, refocusing his attention on his 'Idiot son' in the kitchen, leaving her alone with Takumi. He released a huge breath and was about to collapse to on the floor but caught his knees as he braced himself. First, it was Namikaze, then it was the Superintendent General, and now her grandfather. Why was this so hard?!

"Hey, are you alright?" Ayame bent down and twisted her head around to look at him as he continued to dry heave towards the floor. Soon he stood back up, straight and tall, and slicked back his hair.

" _Si_. I'm good."

"You did well"

She stood on her tip-toes and pecked him on the lips. Takumi smiled gently back at her and grabbed her hands to pull her towards him. She shrieked with laughter and tried to shy away from his wandering lips as he peppered butterfly kisses across her cheek. He didn't know what constituted 'did well' but he believed Ayame. It wasn't her grandfather's fault that he was this way, so Takumi didn't blame him for his extremely opinionated verbal lashings. He believed even without his dementia, he would still have been a very dogmatic, strong-voiced, high-spirited, iron-willed and patriotic individual. This was going to take a lot of getting used to if he were to encounter the elderly gentleman again. Like father, like son, he could see where the Superintendent General might have got his bedside manner from.

"I think I prefer being called a CIA spy than a Nazi" Takumi mused aloud and sighed.

"Haha! I thought that was quite funny" chuckled Ayame.

' _I didn't…'_

"I know this is a lot to take in, Takumi-kun but once _Ojii-san_ gets used to you, and you get used to him, he will bring you the most intelligent conversations more often than not, despite his dementia. We've had a lot of discussions about different train engines before… even if it gets quite repetitive. He's a very intelligent person."

Takumi smiled at her and brushed her hair behind her ears.

" _Just drink the damn tea!"_

" _No. You've been overseas, how do I know you haven't been brainwashed by those Capitalist dogs and did something to it to steal the blueprints entrusted to me by Hiroshima Electric Railway?"_

Takumi rubbed his head as he heard the commotion coming from the kitchen. He didn't understand what all this 'overseas' thing her grandfather was talking about, about the Superintendent general, but her father must have been abroad in the past, before the dementia set in, for the elderly gentleman to think that was was the last thing the Superintendent General did. Did he realise his 'idiot son' was the head of the TMPD? He and Ayame strode back in to see what was happening and was greeted with her father almost crushing the teacup in his hands, thrusted towards his father who was sitting calmly, cool as a cucumber, glaring at his son from down his large aquiline nose. The vein in Ayame's father's forehead pulsed sporadically and his eyes twitched violently letting anyone in the room know his fused was about to blow. Her grandfather was crossed-legged on top of the chair again.

"You old fart…"

"Is that any way to talk to your father, Yuu?" he grunted.

"When you're being so troublesome, _definitely._ If I were to spike your tea with anything, it would be those damn iron supplements you refuse to take"

"Hey! I think it's time for lunch. Let's see what the grocery shop had delivered yesterday" Ayame chirped up to diffuse the tension and skipped over to the overly-decorated fridge. Takumi stepped up to help Ayame inspect the fridge. It was very well stocked with lots of vegetables, both raw and pickled. There were also packages of tofu of many different kinds, _konnyaku_ ,or yam cakes, and some packaged _udon_ as well. Ayame checked the freezer and Takumi looked over her head. He was surprised to see it was quite bare.

There was no meat.

"Umm… Kanda-san?"

"What?"

"What?"

Both of the Kanda men turned to look at him and Takumi was taken aback by being placed in the centre of attention of two male goliaths, glaring at him.

"No… I m-mean… Kanda s-seniour?" he stammered. _Merda!_ He didn't know what to call her grandfather! He hoped he didn't sound over-familiar right now.

"Just call me Zuttosuke. No point mixing me up with my idiot son over there" he pulled out a wooden pipe from inside his sleeve pocket and started tapping in some tobacco from a canister that was also magically procured from his never-ending long sleeves.

"Alright, Z-Zuttosuke-san. Are you a vegetarian?" asked Takumi

"Of course I am! You can't tell? I've been a Buddhist all my life and I ain't about to change, no matter how much you _gaijin_ try to force that Catholic stuff down our throats. It was bad enough the Dutch came over and brainwashed our people in my grand-parents time into their own religion. My own father had to beat them off with the sheath of his _katana!_ Buddhism is the spiritual way of life for those who seek inner-peace. Purging ourselves of eating meat and anything indulgent is one of the many holy doctrines we live by. From then, one can reach the pinnacle of enlightenment and realise how much we _don't_ need to live a humble life. We not only have the manpower, the firepower to win this war, but our united faith in Buddhism will lead us to victory! God bless our Emperor Hirohito!"

' _That last part… doesn't sound like Buddhism…'_

Grandpa Zuttosuke continued to puff animatedly on his pipe and all Takumi could do was just stand there and let him ramble, questioning how devout he _really_ was in Buddhism.

"Well, I can make traditional Japanese vegetarian food for you if you'd like" said Takumi after recovered from that sermon.

"Can you now? How on Earth is a white boy supposed to do that?" said grandpa Zuttosuke without missing a beat.

"… my father is Japanese" Takumi sighed.

"What?! You said you were a Nazi!"

"NO! I never said that! I'm half _Italian!"_

"Meh. All you white-people look the same to me" he continued to smoke his pipe with no regard to how much Takumi was at his wit's end.

" _Ojii-san. Behave"_ said Ayame. _"Otou-san_. I saw that nasty smile. Don't think I'm letting you get away with that"

"Tch"

Takumi coughed into his hand and shook it off. So her grandfather was a religious vegetarian and was a very serious and devout Buddhist… who smokes a pipe… He thought of what he could make from what he found from the fridge and then he sifted through his memories of Japanese cooking, he and Isami had went through with _Pappa_

"Okay. I'll make some _kenchin-jiru_ for you. How does that sound?" said Takumi fainlly.

"Ho? Don't pull my leg, CIA Spy. You know some _shoujin-ryori_ now do you? A Zen-Buddhist dish to boot. Wait until I tell Nanao. She won't believe me that a _gaijin_ believes he could make a vegetarian Buddhist dish. Ha! Impress me then!" he jabbed his pipe in his direction.

"Sounds wonderful, Takumi-kun" said Ayame. "See that _Ojii-san?_ Takumi-kun knows Buddhist vegetarian cuisine too"

"The proof is in the food. So hurry up and get cracking, boy" said Grandpa Zuttosuke.

"Ok then. You won't be disappointed!"

Ayame threw Takumi an apron and he caught it in mid-air. He strapped it on and felt his insides fire-up at the prospect of cooking for his _amore's_ family.

* * *

"Ho? This is amazing. It actually smells good" said Grandpa Zuttosuke, lifting his huge nose and sniffing the air.

" _Buon appetio!"_ said Takumi as he hefted the clay pot filled with hot _Kenchin-jiru_ over to the dining table, once Ayame had cleared away all the tea canisters.

 _"Bonito?_ I don't eat fish, I'm a vegetarian" said the elderly man as put away his pipe.

"No, no! There's no m-meat in here. I meant-"

"Give it up Nazi-boy. I gotta fit him with some hearing aids too anyway" smirked the Superintendent General, leaning coolly on the back door.

 _"Hey..."_ Ayame threatened her father with a scathing glare.

 _Cazzo._ Now that horrifying nickname was going to stick, he'd _much_ preferred being called a CIA spy. Suddenly a mobile ringtone went off. It was from Ayame's father. He grunted and answered it curtly. Takumi was about to lay a place for her father, complete with a bowl of fluffy streaming rice when he suddenly stomped out into the living room, muttering something about 'British beansprouts' and 'pink-eye rabbits' angrily under his breath into his phone. Were they code names for something or someone? It sounded ridiculous. Higher up police officers sure were eccentric. He thought about the two strange police officers who interviewed him back in Tootsuki. The one with the medical eye patch felt a bit weird.

" _Otou-san?_ Where are you going?" asked Ayame, setting out chopsticks.

"Work"

He signalled his exit with a loud door slam.

"So, he's not having lunch with us then" said Takumi. He felt a tad disappointed that her father won't have a chance to taste his food. He really wanted him to.

"Looks like it" she replied.

Takumi spooned the soup into separate bowls for each person, making sure not to handle the soft root vegetables too roughly. Soon they dug in with an enthusiastic _'Itadakimasu!'_. Takumi decided not to say grace in case it offended Grandpa Zuttosuke and he started calling him a Nazi again. Ayame reminded him that her grandfather had weak teeth so it was best to make sure the carrots, _daikon_ radishes, taro roots were super tender. He decided to omit the burdock root as it was more fibrous and tougher to chew. Of course Takumi understood and carefully simmered them until they were practically melt-in-the mouth whilst still holding its shape in the _Kenchin-jiru_ soup. The soup smelled comforting and heavenly. He used _konbu_ seaweed as the soup _dashi_ base instead of the normal _katsuobushi,_ or bonito flakes, as this was essentially vegetarian. He had learnt a few tips and tricks from _Pappa_ when making this vegetarian Buddhist soup dish. He tore the firm tofu pieces with his fingers rather than cutting it with a knife so that it could increase the surface area for maximum flavour absorption. He also cut the _konnyaku_ , or packaged yam cake, with a spoon instead of a knife for the exact same reason. _Pappa_ would be proud.

Takumi watched warmly as the older gentlemen sipped up some of the _umami_ rich soup with shaking hands straight from the lip of the bowl. His thinning, white eyebrows shot up as he let loose a long whistle.

"Hmmm… This is really good, CIA spy. Almost just like the way my wife makes it and I don't dish compliments like this often. She gets jealous. Where is she anyway? Probably off with her lady friends to attend the women's volunteer labour corps"

Takumi looked up at Ayame in question, but she shook her head. Grandpa Zuttosuke was no longer talking to them, instead he was talking to his bowl of soup.

"She should be here too, this food would taste better if she was here with me"

Takumi looked over at Ayame again. She had a sad glint in her eyes and Takumi fully understood why. For the first time, he felt he was really part of her family, as strange and chaotic their meetings were. He no longer felt this was a scary experience but rather, it was a precious memory he would hold close to his heart. Warts and all. Who knew if in the future he might forget this day. He sincerely hoped he wouldn't.

* * *

 **And there we have it. There seems to be that ONE person in the family who is extreme. It's just something I've observed over the years. I'm not saying that every family is like that, but no family is considered 'normal'. Grandfather Kanda** **is based on my patient with Alzheimer's. He's not supposed to be reflective of ALL people with Alzheimers or dementia.**

 **A bit of trivia: At the start of WWII, all Japanese railway lines came under military control. Hence why Grandfather Kanda may have some military information about it. If you guys remember, he was the chief engineer for the railway company he was working for which resumed operations 3 days after the Hiroshima bombing. Ayame mentioned this in Chapter 4.**

 **Takumi finally gets to cook for her family! :D But not in the way he expected. It was a bittersweet experience.**

 **Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you again soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	22. Chizuru's Bane & Takumi's Queen

_Chapter 22 – Chizuru's Bane & Takumi's Queen_

* * *

How did one describe Kojima-san?

He was obnoxious.

He was pessimistic, whinging and complaining.

Smoking and drinking booze like he was born to do so.

Kojima-san had shaggy and unruly, black hair. His past was kind of shady but it seemed he was from _Osaka_ as told by his slurred and sharp accent. Or maybe that was because he was drunk all the time. He looked permanently miserable. He had this nauseating look on his pallid expression as if years of displeasure have shaped his face. He looked like every other second-hand store owner she ever came across. Being miserable seemed to go with the job. Chizuru imagined he had a fiancée who faked her death to escape him and all his friends and families kept it a secret. That sounded like a fitting backstory for him. He always seemed like he had just came out of an alcohol induced coma, stepping back into his miserable reality and then realising that he preferred to slip back into that inebriated darkness because it was way better.

Chizuru didn't care for being around him and working in his second-hand bookstore as long as the pay was good.

It had been a few months since she'd started her part time job at Kojima-san's book shop. It originally started as a second hand bookstore where people would come and sell books they no longer wanted for a cheap price, then _Kojima shouten_ would resell them according to what it was really worth, minus a few hundred yen. Now they included latest bestsellers to expand their collection. Chizuru had a good eye for what books were worth, thanks to all that item-selling and trading experience with other gamers on her various gaming accounts. Kojima-san was generally nonchalant to let her decide the pricing. To be honest he was too drunk the majority of the time and couldn't be arsed. The short girl hummed a quiet tune as she dusted the shelves and tried to align the books neatly.

Chizuru doubted he should be owning a store of any kind. Her boss _hated_ customers. He hated people buying books and was always so rude, insulting them and harassing them. It was brilliant. He liked _having_ a bookstore. He just hated _selling_ books and the people who wanted to buy them. It was a miracle he still managed to make a margin and that was all because of her. When she first started, it was only him and he was in a desperate state (not that he could tell himself). Customer service was non-existent, the place was a pigsty that even the pigs would turn up their snouts at. She dubbed Kojima-san the 'filth wizard', friend only to the dust mites and the rat. There used to be an abandoned wasp nest in the corner of the ceiling and she remembered it vividly. Thinking about it gave her chills. So when Chizuru suggested they should rearrange some of the shelving to make it easier to move around for customers to browse and find their favourite genres, he flat out refused in his typical drunken slurring claiming that the place was lovely as it was and had a certain charm to it. The charm, he mentioned was probably the amount of half empty wine bottles he was 'planning' to make into candle holders. She did it anyway when he went out drinking and the amount of customers coming in skyrocketed. It was like they had a beacon in their brains to let them know the dreaded wanker had gone out. Continuing on the list of things he hated, Kojima-san hated mobile phones and music players, so much so that he wrote it up on his ancient chalk board 'No phones! and 'No music players!' and a whole bunch of other banned items she couldn't decipher from his messy handwriting and displayed it on the walls for all customers to obey.

"Aw man… the cicadas are moulting in the arts and crafts section again…"

Chizuru went into the back to grab a broom so that she could scrape off the hollow cicada shaped shells and sweep it away into the bin. Right now, it was quiet because Kojima-san the owner had gone out into an _izakaya_ and probably won't be back for another fifteen minutes. He should have been blacklisted by now in half the bars of Karakura town. The good-for-nothing-almost-hobo would be yet again thrown out of the Japanese bar and will have no choice but to travel on all fours back to his second-hand bookshop. Urgh… the man behaved like he was a quitter, like he came from a long line of quitters. It was amazing he was even here at all.

This afternoon, there were a few customers browsing around which was not bad, and in particular, one of them caught her eye because he was really fidgety. He looked like a salaryman from a large company. He rolled on the balls of his feet near the counter. He wore a designer spectacles and his hair was parted to the side, looking all slick and shiny. He probably dyed his hair black because no man his age should have completely jet-black hair. His head was raised up high as if surveying the shop from down his nose and had a rather haughty look. Chizuru cringed at those types. He was probably looking to haggle. She knew a haggler when she saw one. It was all in the eyes. Those beady little miser eyes. Obviously he thought himself too important to be in a dinky little second-hand bookshop from the way he eyed the shelves up and down with his arms crossed, leaning away like pond weed from whatever he was surveying because he didn't watch to catch some germs lurking around. _Then what the hell was he doing here..._ He impatiently tapped his finger on the book he was clutching to his chest. Chizuru put away the broom, wiped her hands on her work apron, smoothed out her flicking hair and approached the man with her best 'customer service' smile.

"Can I help you sir?"

"I want to see the owner. Fetch him for me" he said in a posh Tokyo accent. Chizuru hadn't been rejected by a customer like that before. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What the hell was this shit-head's problem?

"If you're looking to purchase that book you've got there, I could just do that for you" said Chizuru through her shiny, _fake,_ bright smile.

"Didn't you hear me, girl? I said I want to speak to your manager. So hop to it and don't keep me waiting" he scoffed at her and turned away as if her face was too plebeian for him to grant attention to.

"The bookstore owner has stepped out for bit and won't be back until a bit later. If you'd rather wai—"

 ** _BAM!_**

"Chizuru! Get my bottle of the finest! _I have returned"_

The front door slammed open, scaring a few of the customers but they quickly recovered and continued browsing. Ha. Just in time. The dear customer could deal with that drunken boss of hers if he liked instead. She was done with him.

"That's the owner there. He'll see to you, if you'd like" she said and smiled at him serenely.

Just as she predicted, his lips quivered in fright mixed with disgust as he got an eyeful of a wasted human being with a crippled gait and was regretting his decision to brush her off. She sauntered away as her boss staggered behind the counter. He pulled up the collar of his stained shirt to wipe his mouth, sniffed, and cleared his throat. He was sobering up faster than she thought because he usually slammed his knee into the counter. He squinted his bloodshot eyes at the salary man as if he was an abstract painting.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

The salaryman recomposed himself. Chizuru stood around the back pretending to look busy and shuffling unprocessed books around, watching from the corner of her eyes with glee for what was going to transpire next.

"How much is this book?" the salaryman said stiffly.

Kojima-san sighed "Four hundred and ninety-five yen"

"Hmmmm"

The salary pulled a painful thinking face and tapped his finger on the cover of the book repeatedly. He did it for over five minutes. _Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._ He began twisting his head this way and that in an obviously exaggerated way. Yep, he definitely a haggler. He couldn't be more obvious. Why would someone want to haggle for a measly four-hundred and ninety-five yen second hand book for fucks sake? He could probably afford his own _Lexus,_ that stingy bastard. Had he no shame? Chizuru shook her head and proceeded to shuffle the books around.

Kojima-san plonked himself into his ratty old seat once his knees gave out.

"What? Is there something wrong with your fingers? Or are you drumming them to say _'No, there is nothing wrong with my fingers'_ or are they just uncontrollable…" he said, with no interest whatsoever, staring at him through half lidded, bloodshot eyes.

Chizuru snorted. He said the best things when he was half drunk, half sober.

"Ahhhh…. Hmmmm…" the salaryman continued to tap his fingers on the cover and pulled back his lips with serious consideration as he scrutinised the book cover.

"Perhaps I could reduce the price…" Kojima-san lit up a cigarette he managed to fish from his jeans pocket along with his lighter. He aimed to throw the lighter onto the table, but it fell short and missed.

"I was thinking three-hundred and fifty yen?" the salary man replied

"Yes, because four-hundred and ninety-five yen is naked profiteering for a book of merely…" he snatched the large tome from the salary man and flicked to the back page _"Nine-hundred and twelve pages long._ What'll I do with the extra hundred and forty-five yen? I'll add another acre to my property, I'll chuck a few more _koi_ carp into my grand piano shaped pond. No, I know. I'll add another wing to the National Diet Library with my name on it" Kojima-san gestured his hand holding his cigarette around in condescending sarcasm.

The salaryman sucked in his teeth and continued to appraise the thick book.

"Four-hundred yen?"

"That's more like it. Now you're being reasonable" he put out his cigarette in his full ashtray. The cheapskate salaryman dug into his trouser pockets for his loose change to hand over. Chizuru had to crane her head to see what Kojima-san was doing. He grabbed the book right from the salary man's fingertips before he could walk away with it.

"Four-hundred yen gets you…" He tore out a chunk of pages from the back "This much" he gave the book back to the customer whose mouth was agape with incredulous shock. "You can get the rest when you come back with the other hundred and forty-five yen"

"But you—"

"Thank you!" Kojima-san slammed his hand on the counter bell letting the customer know the transaction was completed and he no longer wanted to look at his face.

Chizuru had to stop herself from cackling loudly in the back. Ha! That's what that snobby, stingy salaryman deserved for blowing her off like that. If he had just stopped being a prick and let her serve him, then he wouldn't be caught up in this ridiculous situation with her boss. He actually _tore out_ the back pages of the book! That was just golden. Chizuru finally emerged from her hiding spot in the backroom and watched as the salaryman simpered away, still in disbelief. Kojima-san was right though. The book was almost a thousand pages long and he wanted to pay only three hundred and fifty yen for it? Fuck that, he was lucky Kojima-san hadn't sobered up completely because he would probably be forced to pay another hundred yen on top of that book just for thinking he could haggle with the owner of the bookstore.

"And what were you doing you useless chipmunk?" Kojima-san scratched his stubble and looked around his desk, yanking out his drawers and slamming them back in, looking for a left-over muffin or something.

"Just cleaning up and the usual stuff. Did you seriously need to do that? Insult the customer?" asked Chizuru.

"How else would they respect us" he grumbled.

 _'Right on, man'_

"Where's my booze?" he said, picking his stubble.

"You're all out" she replied.

" _Fuck me"_

Chizuru walked away and started realigning some books that have toppled over on the shelves. She continued to listen to her boss whine and complain.

"I'm going out to buy some more. Don't fuck with my shop before I get back!" Kojima-san pulled himself out of his ratty chair with maximum effort and bumped himself into the wall before successfully groping for the door handle and was out the shop. Chizuru shook her head. She was surrounded by crazy weirdos. Ayame-chan was the nerdy weirdo, Kuchiyose-kun was the silent weirdo, _Angelo_ was the jittery weirdo who was completely besotted with the nerdy-weirdo, Yukihira-kun was the hyper-active weirdo, and thankfully Isami-san was not a weirdo.

Chizuru heard the door open and shut again. Another customer probably figured out the owner was gone. Chizuru finished aligning and shelving the books in its proper place before decided she should rearrange the 'Newly Released' book display.

"Hey"

Oh a customer wanted her assistance. She could see to the display later. Chizuru turned around with her plastered on smile ready "What can I do for—"

 _What… the… fuck_

It was the punkass-midget.

He was really there. Right there. He stared at her blankly, his eyes in small slits and his lips pursed together in a hard, thin line. He was wearing the Tootsuki school uniform, a white dress shirt that was untucked and had a dark undershirt beneath it, peeking out from his unbuttoned collar. It was fairly rumpled and untidy as if he didn't care about his appearance as long as he looked like some delinquent wannabe. His hair was still wild as ever and he still wore bobby pins fashioned in the same Z-pattern. Around his waist he had tied his school blazer, secured by a loose knot using the sleeves. Chizuru couldn't stop looking into his eyes, it was so sharp as if it would cut into her head if she looked away.

What was his name again? Oh yeah, the top of her hit-list. _Terunori_ or some shit like that.

 _"What do you want?"_

"I…came to see you" he said shrugging his shoulders like he was fucking forced to be there. Urgh… no one's stopping him from walking back out and letting her get on with her business, pretending _this_ never happened.

"…How do you even know where I work?" Chizuru fully faced him and crossed her arms over her apron, cocking her hips to the side, giving him her most displeased look. She blew her fringe from her face.

"Your friend told me… The chick from the festival" he said simply. He kicked his shoes against the floor and looked around the bookshop haughtily, like he'd never been to one before.

' _Oh Ayame-chan and Angelo are fucking dead…'_

Chizuru felt her ire rise. He was not the person she wanted to deal with right now. He flat out insulted her during that stupid food festival and she was in her right mind to kick him out of the bookstore onto the road in front of an incoming bus. She would do the world a favour and win a medal of appreciation for it. Honestly, she had managed to get over that whole fuck-up at the festival and had left it behind her to get on with her life, but now Terunori being here was just dredging all that back up. Couldn't he just be dead to her? What the hell was Ayame and her stupid boyfriend planning? This guy was really straightforward. At least he had the decency to not insult her intelligence by claiming how it was a _coincidence_ he was in _Kojima Shouten_ on his 'nth' try _,_ totally intending to look for her. She had no idea what this was all about and she was full on planning to stop it before it took root. However there was something in his eyes and expression that was different. A lot milder, less cocky, less punch-able, and less vomit-inducing. So he probably wasn't here to have a second go at her congenital anosmia, that much she could tell. She wanted to groan. Fuck. She was a sucker for curiosity. She might as well hear him out so that he could be gone, double-quick.

"Pray tell, what do you want to see me for?" Chizuru drawled.

His face was pulled into the typical expression Western teenagers did when being told off by their parent she'd seen in movies. Pursed lips, rolling eyes and tongue-in-cheek. He scratched the back of his head as his face began to get a bit flushed.

"Look, I just… _urghh this is so stupid_ … I m-made this for you"

The punkass midget pulled out a plastic container from behind his back and presented it to her. He looked like a little chubby-faced angry child, his eyes avoiding all visual contact with her face. Chizuru looked warily at the container in his hand. There was a bit of steam coating the lid, so she couldn't see what was inside. It was definitely some fort of food, and it was an angry red looking food in there. She scrutinised it some more, trying to wrack her brain for the purpose of this. Why was he giving it to her?

"Just fucking take it already!" He shoved the warm box into her hands and crossed his arms and hunched his shoulders. His lips were pulled back showing his tightly gritted teeth and his light brown eyes were brimming with annoyance. His hair seemed to stand on end like a hissing cat, and his face got redder.

' _What the hell is going on…'_

She unclasped the lid, releasing a puff of steam. Inside were glistening pieces of cubed silken tofu covered in a runny red and brown sauce, with tiny clusters of minced meat. The minced meat looked really moist. There was the tell-tale sign of chilli oil dotting it and some dark green sprinkling of spring onions. She felt the heat through her fingers. He must have made this fresh before he got here. The pure white rice next to the tofu was still fluffy and steamy with a pinch of black sesame on top for garnish. Along with the plastic container was a small plastic spoon.

"What's this?" she looked up in question. All her hatred left her and was replaced with bemusement.

"It's _Mapo tofu_. Extra spicy" he said.

"I know that but—"

" _I just wanted to apologise properly"_ Terunori raised his voice as he interrupted her. He sighed loudly and rolled his head back and rubbed the back of his neck in exasperation. "Look, I'm sick of feeling like a scumbag and it's been interfering with my cooking practice, which isn't good in front of my disciples. So yeah… that's all"

Chizuru blinked.

He came all this way, to give her a box of _mapo tofu,_ for something that happened over two weeks ago?

' _Well if he's willing to go that far…'_

Chizuru was feeling a bit embarrassed all of a sudden. He didn't seem he was lying, actually he looked quite genuine. It must have taken him a lot of courage to come to that conclusion. Two weeks, duh, and he was being an agitated flustered mess looking like he wanted to be on the other side of the world. But he was _here._ This moron had suddenly gifted her with a box of spicy food at her after school, part-time work place. Only cheesy couples did that! Only Ayame and _Angelo_ would do shit like that! Chizuru felt her face heat up too and it wasn't anything to do with the heat of the food in her hands. Thank god Kojima-san wasn't here to witness this, otherwise he would cut her pay just for Terunori pulling a stunt like this. This was too fucking weird. Something _had_ to be up.

"Hey… did you lace this with something?"

He widened his eyes at her in shock. "Huh?"

"Did you put something in here that's going to make me sick?" she repeated blankly.

"WHAT! Why would I do something as fucked up as that! Oh my god. Just… Okay, I only wanted to show you I'm _fucking_ sorry! Nothing more! I wouldn't do that to you, Alright?!"

He flared his nostrils angrily at her. As if he should be the one that was offended. She asked him a perfectly valid question. It happened enough in her childhood that asking out of self-preservation was a totally normal thing. His face was turning red hot angry and he began baring his teeth. His eyelids twitched and she found it hilarious as he tried to bottle in that volcano of rage.

She raised her eyebrows in mock suspicion.

"Fine. If you don't believe me, watch this"

Terunori snatched the plastic spoon from her grasp and spooned some of the white rice and wobbly tofu. He inserted it into his own mouth and Chizuru watched him eat his spoonful. He was accustomed to eating spicy food also as he didn't even sweat. He swallowed and smacked his lips and raised his own eyebrow at her. He brushed his thumb over the corner of his lips to catch a bit of rice sticking to it. Nothing else happened.

"Yeah, I— _MMFFPH?!"_

Terunori shoved another spoonful of his _mapo tofu_ into her mouth, once again cutting her off, just when she was about to say that she believed him. He removed the spoon and Chizuru had to slap her free hand over her mouth to stop the food from escaping her mouth along with the spoon. It was hot. REALLY HOT. BLAZING HOT. The spiciness took over her mouth like euphoric Armageddon and she felt the invigorating heat escaping to the back of her throat and up her nose. When he said it was extra spicy, he wasn't fucking kidding because she had never felt this burning heat in anything she ate. It was _amazing!_ She swallowed half her mouthful and was forced to breathe through her mouth to relieve some of the heat. She rolled the silly soft tofu in her mouth and the rice was the perfect stickiness. The minced meat tied all the textures together in just the way she liked. She began to smoothly chew the rest of her mouthful and finally swallowed. Her insides felt instantly warm and her tongue was rendered numb. She felt the first beads of sweat on her forehead.

Chizuru was rendered catatonic.

THAT was fucking fantastic.

"So what do you think, huh?"

Her bleary eyes refocused back onto the person standing in front of her. Her vision had been momentarily taken over by dancing peppers. How was it possible that _mapo tofu_ could be this spicy?! Terunori was looking absolutely like a smug bastard. His lips were pulled into a feral smirk, one of his canines peeking out. His light brown eyes glinted with mocking pride, obviously pleased as punch that she was heavily affected by his dish. It was like the cat got the mouse. His head was cocked to the side and his hands were on his hips, as if waiting to hear the praises he thought he deserved. Was it just her, or was he the only one that was unaffected by this _volcanic_ box of dynamite tofu!? There was not a sign of discomfort on his face. She proudly named herself queen of the Scoville scale in Karakura town when it came to spicy dishes, but he broke the damned scales! When Chizuru finally caught her breath after a few good minutes, and the feeling in her tongue and soft palate returned, only one thing remained on her mind above all else.

' _WE JUST SHARED THE SAME FUCKING SPOON!'_

* * *

Ayame was happy to be taking a brisk walk, especially to her boyfriend's residence. She was very intrigued for what he had in store for her. It was almost evening and so she was sporting a simple red T-shirt, black shorts, a pair of white sandals and she tied her hair up in a high ponytail. Ayame had received a text message from Takumi-kun during the lunch break asking her to come over to his apartment for dinner and here she was making her way to the elevator of the Minamikawase apartment complex.

Ayame brought up the text message to re-read.

' _Good afternoon mio amore!_

 _How was your first and second period?  
I was wondering if you'd like to come  
over for dinner tonight. I have something  
special I want you to try. Trust me, it will be  
nothing like you've ever tasted before._

 _Lots of love  
\- Takumi_

She didn't exactly have an awesome time at school because she was clumsy and had spilt a carton of milk. That was Murphy's law and his best friend, 'Gravity', reminding her that if something could go wrong, it _will_ go wrong. Luckily it only stained a small part of her beige school vest and Kuchiyose-kun caught it before the whole contents landed on herself. Ayame chuckled as the elevator dinged and she reached her destined level. She could laugh about it now, she was over it. Ayame was growing more eager as she approached the Aldini twin's front door.

 _Knock Knock Knock_

" _Coming!"_

Ayame could hear the loud pitter-patter of Takumi-kun's feet as he jogged to the door. She stood straight with a big smile on her face and her hands clasped behind her back, waiting for Takumi-kun. When he opened the door wide, Ayame immediately stepped up and kissed him on the cheek. He was briefly stunned, but instantly recomposed himself and ushered her in, closing the door with soft click. The first thing she noticed was the living room lights were out except for in the kitchen. He was donned in his _Aldini_ apron, but beneath it he looked like he was wearing yet another dress shirt, but different to his school uniform. He did something to his hair! He was exceptionally handsome with his blonde tresses combed backwards with the usual locks of his fringe hanging loosely, shaping his beautiful face. Takumi-kun grinned at her warmly and it made her blush. He planted his own kiss on her temple. The mystery thickened and excitement bubbled in her stomach because he was decked out in semi-casual clothing, his hair was done and was lightly misted over in his cologne. Meanwhile she just chucked on some random clothes. Why in the multi-verse would this dinner be so special?

"Hmmm, what are you cooking?" asked Ayame.

Takumi-kun took her hand and guided her over to the kitchen island, tugging out the kitchen stool for her. He had certainly pulled out all the stops once again. Her brows shot up into her hairline at all the cutlery that was lined out with plates, napkins and wine glasses. There were even three little red votive candles lit up in the middle! It flickered, the dim lighting in the kitchen casted a romantic and sensuous shadow over his face, illuminating his strong cheek bones, his beautifully defined nose, and the deep blue clarity of his eyes which seemed to glow. Ayame felt her cheeks heat up again and she fidgeted with the hem of her T-shirt. There was another thing to add to list of what got her all riled up. _Candles_. It was like he turned his kitchen into a fine dining restaurant. Drat! He should of told her to dressed up too because now she looked out of place.

"You'll see, everything is ready now" he said mysteriously, winking at her.

'Uhh... okay then?" she chuckled nervously and gulped. "Where's Isami-kun?"

"He's gone to talk to our _senpai_ in Polar Star dorms about something important coming up for us"

Takumi-kun disappeared from view and Ayame turned her head every which way to find out what was going on. She temporarily closed her eyes and sniffed the air. She smelt something tangy and acidic. Interesting. She smelt something like slow-cooked meat and some stock. More fascinating now. Unfortunately for her, the large pan on the stove had a cover on it so nope, she couldn't see what it was.

"Let me tell you a little bit about what I made for you"

Takumi-kun returned and placed a wine glass in front of her. Except, balancing on top of the rim was a perfectly round wafer biscuit delicately towered with thick slices of sausages. It was lightly coated in a deep red sauce not enough to soak the biscuit with caramelised red onions, black pepper, and garnished with a sprig of parsley. It looked so pretty like a piece of art! Inside the stunningly clear wine glass was unmistakeably red wine, filled up to a one third of the glass. It was a deep and sexy burgundy colour. Ayame's mouth fell open in awe. It was like a crimson, mountain island floating above a ruby red sea.

It was only a starter, and it looked absolutely _gorgeous._

"A while ago, we received an assignment where we had to design a recipe representing the cuisine from the middle ages fit for royalty of a country of our choice. I chose Spain" said Takumi-kun.

He didn't pick Italy? He unfurled her napkin, placing it over her lap gently. Her hands flew up to her chest in surprise when the soft material fluttered onto her thighs. Takumi-kun needn't do this, she could have opened her napkin herself.

"This is _chorizo_ with sautéed Spanish onion and sherry vinegar _tapas_ " said Takumi-kun. He was standing behind her, leaving only a disembodied voice. He gestured to the glass of wine with the small beautiful food on it.

"I've heard of _tapas_ before. Isn't that a type of Spanish bar food?" asked Ayame, twisting her neck to look at Takumi-kun behind her. He was so close that his cologne smelled stronger than the _tapas_.

" _Si,_ it is now. But in history there were different theories on its origins, however three of the most popular theories as to how the _tapas_ came about involved the Spanish Kings. One theory said King Alfonso the tenth of _Castile_ recovered from illness by drinking wine with small dishes between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered that taverns would not be allowed to serve wine to customers unless it was accompanied by a small snack or _'tapa'_.

Ayame nodded, returning her attention to the _tapas_ before her. How was the wafer biscuit not collapsing in the wine already? Takumi-kun must have made the wafer somehow so durable, yet it was so thin. He was more skilled than she could imagine.

"The second theory was that King Alfonso the thirteenth stopped by a famous tavern in _Cádiz_ where he ordered a cup of wine. The waiter covered the glass with a slice of cured ham before offering it to the king, to protect the wine from the beach sand, as _Cádiz_ is a windy place. The King, after drinking the wine and eating the _tapas_ , ordered another wine _'with the cover'"_

Ayame nodded again, transfixed by the _tapas,_ imagining King Alfonso savouring on the exact same starter Takumi-kun had made.

"Finally the third theory was about King Felipe the third, who passed a law in an effort to curb rowdy drunken behavior, particularly among soldiers and sailors. The law stated that when someone purchased a drink, the bartender was to place over the mouth of the mug or goblet a cover or lid containing some small quantity of food as part of the purchase, the hope being that the food would slow the effects of the alcohol, and fill the stomach to prevent from absorbing too much of iy" said Takumi-kun.

The more Takumi-kun spoke, his voice grew huskier and quieter, totally unlike his usual passionate, theatrical and flamboyant speech and Ayame felt her insides crawl. He sounded sultry and felt herself salivate. His voice and his slight Italian accent caressed her ears as he transported her on a magical journey through the royal history of the well-known Spanish food. Ayame slowly licked her lips. Suddenly there was movement behind her as Takumi-kun reached over her shoulder towards the _tapas_ and the glass of wine. He carefully lifted the super-thin wafer and Ayame tracked it as he drew it closer to her, without spilling a drop of sauce.

 _He pressed it to her lips._

Ayame felt possessed. She automatically parted her lips as her boyfriend placed the _chorizo_ and sautéed Spanish onion with sherry vinegar _tapas_ onto her tongue. She bit into it and she instantly melted with a blissful groan. The powerful and rich flavours of the _chorizo_ instantly filled her mouth with a strong paprika and fatty taste. The sweetness of the caramelised onions seduced her tongue and glided over it as she chewed slowly, savouring and relishing in its exquisite taste. The aromatic wafer was so crisp and it instantly dissolved against her tongue. The sherry vinegar provided the added acidic kick to tie in the rich and colourful flavours that painted the Spanish flag into her. If she personified the taste, she would say it was a lascivious but classy _flamenco_ dancer, dancing around her, brushing her blood red silk dress across her bare skin in teasing caresses. She swallowed her morsel and sighed from the luxurious aftertaste.

Takumi-kun continued to place more of the _tapas_ into her mouth. Ayame was now slightly shaking, feeling a rapid coiling in her stomach. Her spine could no longer support her as she rested backwards against Takumi-kun's firm chest. What was happening to her? Why was she feeling this way? She hadn't felt like this since…

 _The times they were being rather 'intimate' with each other..._

Ayame sighed loudly as Takumi-kun caressed her jaw with his other hand, coaxing her to bite into the rest of the _tapas_. She experienced the heavenly flavours all over again and she succumbed completely to him. The coiling traveled to the heat between her thighs. Her breath quickened and her heart thumped in her chest relentlessly. The warmth radiating from Takumi-kun did nothing but escalate the arousal building up within her. It didn't help that he was feeding her, not allowing her to feed herself as if he wanted to directly influence the rapture she felt from his food, and she was sure he took great pleasure in this. His fingers traveled down her neck, stroking it up and down as she swallowed. It felt white hot against her skin. She licked her lips and Takumi placed the last bit of _tapas_ into her mouth.

Next he reached forward again and retrieved the wine. He gently placed the rim at her lips and she was completely at his mercy as she gingerly fingered the glass and tipped it, whilst he still had his own firm hold on it. She sipped the wine. Its strong bitter taste wasn't as shocking as she thought as it would be. Although it sliced through her taste buds, its deep and rich flavour insinuated itself through her palate and Ayame was left with a strong fruitiness with a lacing of a forest and earthy taste.

" _How was it?"_ Takumi-kun whispered in her ear.

"Uh… huh?"

Ayame could barely comprehend what he was saying or keeping her eyes open. She could only listen to her blood rushing in her ears and trying her hardest to keep her sexual urges at bay by tightly pressing her thighs together. If Takumi-kun was an animal, he could probably smell the insane amount of pheromones she was exuding all over the apartment against her will. Also, if she was an animal herself, she would be all over him now, tearing his clothes off.

Takumi-kun chuckled hotly behind her, making her bite her lip. He gently pushed her forward so that she could straighten her posture without his support. She had no idea when did Takumi-kun remove his apron, but he was looking _damn fine_ in his white dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Ayame gripped her fingers against the kitchen island as she continued to try and steady herself. She had never tasted anything like that! All her thoughts had disappeared, taken over by some intrinsic primal urge to shamelessly indulge in the carnal pleasure Takumi-kun presented to her in food form. She could do nothing but go along with his whims.

He came back with a steaming plate of vibrant yellow plump rice, mixed with juicy slices off dark red meat which looked so soft and tender. There were also sliced red and green capsicums and mushrooms. Ayame inhaled the aroma and felt herself cave in once more.

"This is _paella,_ the Spanish rice dish. Medieval European royalty often like to eat meat from animals they considered close to heaven such as cranes. Which is what I used in this case. So this is my Spanish Crane _paella_.

"H-How did you manage to get _crane_?" asked Ayame, mesmerised by the moist and steaming _paella._ Yellow was her favourite colour and the electric yellow reminded her of the glowing sun. The contrasting colours of the crane meat, mushrooms and muliti-coloured capsicums made it look like precious jewels resting in a bed of gold. It smelled mouth-watering.

"I ordered my ingredients from Tootsuki"

Of course, Takumi-kun is able to do amazing things with Tootsuki's support.

"Do you know what gives _paella_ its fiery yellow colour?" he asked.

Ayame shook her head.

"What every European royalty wants. _A touch of saffron"_

Takumi-kun resumed his position behind Ayame, and placed his hands on her shoulders. She suddenly felt he was in complete control of the situation and she was bewitched by him. _Possessed._ She felt his body bend down to her level and his hot breath brushed across her ears, sending shivers up her arms and making her shudder as something threatened to burst within her. He was everywhere and he was as intoxicating as his food. She didn't know if she wanted him more than the food.

" _Tonight, you will dine like royalty with food fit for a Queen"_

* * *

 **Ayame compared to European royalty? Take it as you like :P Is she Takumi's princess? or is she his queen? I wouldn't be suprised if Takumi could pull off Spanish food just as well as Italian food. It's nice to know that Takumi could be equally sexy in any cuisine he chose, not just Italian. C** **rane meat is apparently really nice. It's like a cross between duck meat and steak. So cranes are considered to be flying beef.**

 **Chizuru and Kuga hahahaha! Could you imagine Tootsuki students using food as the pretext for anything in life?** **Birthday present? FOOD. G** **oing out with friends? FOOD. S** **omeone is sick? FOOD. R** **evenge? FOOD BATTLE. S** **tudying? FOOD ESSAYS S** **hopping? FOOD. A** **pologising to someone? FOOD. Flirting? FOOD PICK UP LINES.** **The list goes on.**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think and I'll see you in a few days time!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	23. Life Goes On & So Does the Darkness

_Chapter 23 – Life Goes On & So Does the Darkness_

* * *

Satoshi quickly poured Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri some more tea.

"Are you sure that is everything you know about your father, Nakiri-kun?" he said as gently as possible.

"Y-yes. That's everything I know" Nakiri Erina replied hoarsely.

Alice-san sat beside her and rubbed her cousin's shoulder in support and comfort.

Satoshi leaned back in his seat. He mulled over the facts to make sure he got this straight. Azami was definitely a Nakiri who married into the family. He was a former third seat in Doujima-san's generation and then rose to the first seat in the year after. According to the Nakiri cousin's, he was cold, rude, and domineering. He was the only person to ever cause the normally confident Nakiri Erina to become a terrified mess at the mention of only his name. This abhorrent man had taken advantage of his daughter's God's Tongue ability as soon as he found out and used it for his self-serving purposes. He forced her to compare dishes and throw away all the contents of the dishes that were told her was inferior.

He controlled her mind easily and she continuously submitted to his poisonous and treacherous words until her autonomy was destroyed. Nakiri Erina was too young to fight back and resist. He was her _father._ She didn't know any better. It also seemed like this despicable man wasn't above physical violence on his own child to get his way, as retold by the number of times he _hit_ her and _slapped_ her. The man should never have been a father. His mentally abusive re-education regime to harness this ability spoke volumes as to why he was banished from the Nakiri family by the head, Senzaemon-dono, and ordered never to set foot onto their school or look in their direction again. That was the last the Nakiri heiresses saw of him. He left when she daughter was ten years old.

According to Nakiri Erina, her disowned father believed that the culinary industry was rotten, riddled with corruption and it needed to change. Nakiri Azami aspired to bring the culinary industry to its pinnacle, though he considered food that was not high quality to be nothing but fodder and forcibly instilled this doctrine into his daughter. Whatever this 'pinnacle' was, it sounded more like hell than heaven. So that was the reason why Nakiri Erina was the way she was. Her behavior and cognition had been modified against her will. She knew nothing but her father's training regime, and his iron-clad rules on culinary excellence. So she had developed an elitist persona, moulded and shaped by him and that became her identity for fear she would be punished if she was anything else.

"I'd appreciate it if you both speak nothing about our conversation to anyone. Does that seem fair to you?" asked Satoshi.

"Sure. Does _Ojii-sama_ know about this?" asked Nakiri Alice.

"Yes, I'm keeping him up to date, every step of the way"

Nakiri Alice nodded. She turned to her cousin and her face deepened into despair. The both of them were still haunted by this man. He felt bad about getting these two to cut back into an old scar, but he had no choice.

Satoshi suppressed the bile rising into his throat and he strived to keep his benevolent, kind and gentle façade, for Erina Nakiri's sake. He didn't want her to think things were as bad as it really was.

It made total sense. Nakiri Azami planned to take revenge on his family, who turned his back on him. He planned to tear down the culinary world and rebuild it into his own twisted vision, and he was going to do that by ripping it from the roots up. Take over the internationally famous culinary school and bend the minds of the fresh, young and new generation of chefs to be his soldiers, then disseminate his ideals to the world. Satoshi found out that during his excommunication, Nakiri Azami began to create a culinary business and community solely for the wealthy in America and began to expand his business in to the East, Middle East, and southern Asia. So he didn't just end up as a nothing when he left, he really made something of himself and gained a lot of influence in the gourmet food world. He was going to be a terrifyingly formidable opponent.

 _'He needed a way in. That's why he hired the information broker. To open a gateway for him'_

"Thank you for opening up to me Nakiri-kun. Will you be alright to attend this evening's meeting with the rest of the Elite Ten and your cohort?" Satoshi stood up as soon as the two Nakiris took to their feet.

"Yes. We will be there." Said the blonde Nakiri in a monotone voice.

Satoshi escorted the two of them out and watched as they walked away in silence. Nakiri Alice continued to rest her hand on her cousin's shoulder. Once they disappeared down the hallway, he closed the door behind him and returned to his seat in quick strides. He plopped back into his seat and massaged his temples. One thing done, he was able to get some leading information from the Nakiri cousins. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to gain a proper and private audience with Senzaemon-dono. He only briefly spoke to him during Eizan's preliminary hearing. Even then he couldn't say much.

He pulled out his folder of all the research he did surrounding Nakiri Azami from his locked drawer. He's started with scouring all the school newsletters and newspaper articles, and found nothing. It was like the Nakiri family literally obliterated his existence. Then he found a bit more under 'Nakamura Azami' but it wasn't anything useful. He didn't bother doing research further than the school because he knew Chief Inspector Shoseki was handling that.

Satoshi pulled out his phone from his pocket. It wasn't his. It was given to him by the Chief Inspector who insisted he called him using this handset should anything arise in Tootsuki. He said it had been modified so the signal was masked and it couldn't be intercepted, which was safer to use. The seventh seater turned the red handset in his palm multiple times, tapping his finger on his temples as he did so.

The brunette student sighed and pressed the call button.

* * *

 _'Here we go again'_

Akira had to water Jun's paprika sprouts. She forgot. He was already used to it but he'd appreciate it if she was less neglectful in looking after her research samples. He didn't have the heart to scold her this time because he knew she was in a very stressful position. Being the youngest and shortest professor in Tootsuki meant that she always over worked to prove to everyone that she deserved her position and her tenure. He yawned as he moved onto the next collection of little pots of spice plants. Lately she'd been frantically marking each and every Medieval Spice cuisine assignment his whole cohort had handed in last week. Day and night, she was on top of the assignments and Akira took on the responsibility to make sure she ate something otherwise she wouldn't be doing anyone any favours if she fainted from malnutrition. It was a nuisance, but he just had to deal with it.

That assignment was piss easy and he was sure he'd get full marks anyway. What he didn't like about the assignment was the way it was structured. It was too much for Jun to handle. He had implored her to make it less complicated, but she wouldn't listen. What was going through her mind to make her decide that getting students to write an essay AND design a recipe AND write a reflective piece AND write a critical peer review of another's assignment was a good idea. Never mind the students, but now she had saddled herself with a humongous task ahead. She was cooking every single recipe that was handed in to check if it was legitimate. That was over a hundred recipes! It was _insane!_ She may be a genius in her field, but she was without any logical sense when it came to practicality. What on Earth was she thinking! He seriously recommended that she should see a counselor or a therapist to address stress management or even curb her workaholic tendencies.

Once Akira was finished, he released his hair from his low ponytail and rubbed his scalp. He took off his garden apron and popped it on the hook on the back door and returned to the main area of the spice seminar room to see what Jun was up to now.

' _She's not even a quarter of the way through her marking…'_

Akira groaned silently.

"Jun. Make sure you drink some water"

"Ha? Oh yes! Of course" her eye-bag ridden face flew up in surprise as she was absorbed with comparing some students' assignment with her marking rubric.

Akira was forbidden to look through or even touch any of the students' assignments. Not like he cared for that anyway, but Jun had felt she needed to make things absolutely clear as a disclaimer since he was her ward.

"Jun, it's time to eat anyway. How about you drop your marking for now and continue in the evening and rest already" said Akira.

"Oh I can't do that Hayama-kun. I have a meeting with chef Chapelle this afternoon to come up with a compromise in our lesson plans. So I need to get as much of the marking out of the way as possible before I hand them back to you guys" she said.

Jun looked terrible and Akira hated to see her this way. Her face was pasty, her eyes drooped with weariness and sleepless nights, and her eye-bags were very dark. She'd aged at least five years since she picked up her red pen. She was so _gung ho_ in the beginning to grade everyone's papers and now she had one foot in the grave. She wasn't as jittery and jumpy as she normally was but rather moved sluggishly and hunched her back wherever she dragged her feet. He even had to grab the back of her ponytail to stop her from bumping into walls a few times and pulling her hair had the added benefit of waking her up at the same time.

' _Right, we're having merged classes later on in the semester'_

On top of her mountain of marking and her spice research which was seriously on hold because of all this, she and Chef Chapelle were planning on combining the practical and theoretical classes together. It was a good idea, that way he could certainly apply the new theories he learnt and get some use out of them. He flitted his green eyes over to the dried bay leaves hanging outside the window.

"Hayama-kun, have you heard of a girl born without a sense of smell?" said Jun looking more refreshed after drinking a glass of water.

"What the hell? Were you drinking again?" he raised his eyebrows dubiously at her.

"No… Yukihira-kun knows a girl like that. It's called congenital anosmia. It sounds so weird doesn't it? There is someone out there who's the complete opposite of you" she mused.

"You shouldn't believe anything he tells you"

 _"It's true!"_ Jun yelled at him.

Akira had never heard of anything like this. In his mind, _everyone_ was the opposite of him. What was _congenital anosmia?_ Born with no sense of smell? That was preposterous, anything to do with smelling he would have heard of it. He found it quite difficult to actually wrap his head around it. If it was possible to be born deaf or blind, then yes he could understand that. But born without a sense of smell? That was weird, unheard of to him. All his life he relied on his nose, like another extension of himself, therefore to imagine someone without it…

"Where'd he find her?" he poured himself a glass of water too.

"She's one of Takumi-san's friend. You've met his friend's haven't you?" she asked.

"Are you talking about Polar Star dorms? Of course I have" he replied.

"No, no. He's got some friends that don't go to Tootsuki. You've told me about them before actually"

"Hmmmm…"

Did he? When was the last time he spoke to Takumi Aldini? He had a lot of research cooking he had to conduct for Jun during the holidays so he barely had time to reflect on other things he did during that time. He was a very busy person. He conjured up a vague memory of having a _shokugeki_ with Mito and Takumi Aldini took around some friends during the summer holidays to be the judges as a request. He thought about it some more. Yes, they were definitely on a tour, meaning they were outsiders. He remembered clearly now, there were two girls and one very tall boy. They were Takumi Aldini's friends. Was Jun talking about one of them? That meant she was implying one of the girls was born with no sense of smell. Which one? Takumi Aldini never introduced either of the girls with that condition. Obviously, he would have remembered something astounding as this.

"I don't know really" he replied nonchalantly.

"She would be so interesting for research purposes! N-Not like human experimentation, but to get her to sample different spice flavours and aromas and see how much she could differentiate them or even at all! And maybe we'll get an insight into how the human brain processes the sense of smell! Oh and also maybe to see what effects flavours and spices have on people, analysing what reactions she lacks!" Jun gentle tapped her cup on the table in her excitement.

Akira allowed her to ramble on as he sank deeper into his memories.

One girl stood out to him. The short one with the edgy, chin-length which flicked out. She couldn't look any more apathetic as she tried Mito and his dishes in that _shokugeki_. It was like she thought their dishes were subpar, and it bothered him a lot. Although she _did_ show some preference for his dish. She was a strange one. He remembered asking her what she felt and tasted, but she took too long to answer to the point that her friend had to jump in. Maybe he was a bit too intimidating when asking her. She looked quite uncomfortable when he approached her side of the table. Scared even. He didn't mean to, but there was something about her that just _drew_ him in. Now that he thought about it, he encountered her again during the Summer Solstice Festival. But she had turned-tail from him as soon as she recognised him. He remembered the expression on her face when he tried to offer her his curry. Her eyes blew up wide and fearful and she snarled in distaste.

He was usually bad at remembering faces, or people that were insignificant to him. He normally played it off well, unlike Yukihira who was blatantly obvious when he didn't recognise a person. He thought it was funny how he remembered that girl out of the faceless masses.

"Could you imagine that Hayama-kun? Someone who can't smell or taste food" Jun continued to ramble on as he nodded automatically.

' _Can't smell… can't taste..."_

Oh.

 _Oooh._

"Is her name… _Namikaze?"_

"Oh so you do know her! Yes, her name is Namikaze Chizuru, one of Yukihira-kun's and the Aldini twin's new friend" said Jun.

Akira closed his eyes and sighed.

Damn, it should have clicked with him sooner. Of course there was something seriously wrong when she was behaving so strangely towards him. It was no wonder. So that was it, the reason why she showed such a neutral disposition to food and an aversion to him was because she could not _sense_ therefore could not _comprehend_ the nature of smell and taste. He had proudly explained how his superior physiological ability allowed him to surpass all others in his culinary art in front of her, it looked like she sat there letting it all enter her ear and out the other.

Something tugged at his chest. The fact that this girl, Namikaze, couldn't smell didn't sit well with him. It didn't sit well _at all_. He couldn't place his finger on it but he regarded this source of discomfort was akin to feeling pity. Like he wanted to reach out and transmit some of his superior sense of smell to show her the gift she'd been missing, the beauty of _scent_. He didn't know what it was like to be born without it, let alone his unique ability, but to him, it felt like the girl was cheated by life, one of her senses robbed from her before she even entered the world. Akira didn't take much stock in religion, but he had some belief in fate and destiny. Here he was, with the acute sense of smell, crossing paths with a girl with none whatsoever.

 _It hardly looked like a coincidence._

"Yeah, I've met her before. She likes eating spicy food, I heard" he said, replaying his encounter with her. He spoke to her friend to get some information about her and that was what she said. She liked eating spicy food.

"Really? Well that makes sense. Anosmiacs might like food that provide more stimulation. So? What was she like?" asked Jun.

"Didn't talk to her"

"Wow. You let that chance fly right on by..." she pouted.

"I didn't even know at the time, alright?" he sighed.

Akira crossed his arms and tilted his head backwards, breathing deeply. He allowed the scent of drying herbs and spices enter his nostrils, instantly identifying each aroma like it was second nature. Cinnamon, turmeric, bayleaves, holy basil, fish mint, cardamom, saffron, garam masala and rosemary. He listened to Jun's footsteps as she hobbled her way back to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and instantly he knew by his nose that she opened a plastic container of his left over _Vindaloo curry_. Its aroma was severely stunted due to being stored in the fridge, the cold temperature holding the scent prisoner. However nothing could escape his nose, so he could still detect the smokiness of the _Kashmiri chillies,_ the fragrance of the coriander seeds, turmeric and ginger, cinnamon, tamarind and the cider vinegar.

"Anyway, bring her over Hayama-kun! I'd love to meet her one day"

"Huh? Why are you asking me for! Ask Yukihira or Aldini!" Akira stood up abruptly and grabbed his empty cup and brought it over to the sink.

"Oh you're right. That's a better idea. Knowing you, you can't even get a girl's contact details to save your life" said Jun turning away, shaking her head.

Akira felt a vein pulse in annoyance and face heating up "Hmmph. Like you could do any better... You know what? Whatever. Jun, I've got somewhere I need to be, so make sure you eat before you meet with Chef Chapelle" said Akira, turning around from the sink.

"Eh? You won't eat with me?" squeaked Jun.

He shook his head and smirked "Also, you've been losing weight and I'm not getting enough weight-lifting exercises anymore when I'm carrying you up to bed when you fall asleep at the sofa."

"H-Hey! What are y-you trying to imply?!" she shrieked at him.

"I'm just saying that you're not as heavy as you used to be. Problem?"

"Yes! You're saying that I was fat before! I'm not! You're so mean, Hayama-kun…" her eyes started to shimmer and grow big with unshed tears. He wanted to flick her in the forehead because it was so funny but resisted.

"No, I'm saying that you need to eat more. That's all" he sighed in exasperation. Why did females always have to read too much into things? It was such a nuisance. Should he remind her of her negligence once again to stop her from fussing the small details? It was tempting.

 _But he had a meeting with the Elite Ten council to get to_.

"I'm going now Jun. I'll be back in a bit" he called over his shoulder as he grabbed his on the way out.

"I'm going to stuff my face with all the _Vindaloo curry_ and make you regret everything you just said! You hear me?!" she yelled back.

Good.

* * *

"I'm glad everyone could make it!"

Akira took his seat closest by the door, sitting next to Kurokiba. Why the hell did he always end up sitting next to him? Kurokiba may be menacing to everyone else except to his half-demented keeper, Nakiri Alice, but he was nothing to Akira. Kurokiba continued to stare overtly at him like a mooning, psychotic calf, with his undead expression, but Akira kept his eyes focused on Isshiki's desk at the front. He could stare all he liked, the bipolar mad-dog wasn't going to get a rise out of him. From his peripheral vision, he could indeed see that everyone was on time, including Takumi Aldini who wasn't present in the previous meeting. So he got himself a girlfriend, he'd heard. Looks like they'll be seeing less of Takumi Aldini now.

On one side were the remaining Elite Ten; Terunori, Kinokuni, Nakiri and Isshiki, with Eizan being absent, and the other side were the other ninety-second generation.

Akiria's eyes landed on Nakiri Erina. She looked a lot worse for wear, like she just woke up from a nightmare. Her skin had gone white, she sat with such impossible rigidity and her eyes were glazed over. She wasn't _fully_ there. What's wrong with her? She looked like she might barf. She was probably sick. Maybe one of her taste-testing jobs probably did a number on her. Opposite her, Nakiri Alice didn't look too good either. She was hunched in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest and her legs crossed, staring out the window. Her eyes also held something in them that was a similar to _loathing._ Whatever that was going on between the two Nakiris was probably a family issue. He didn't have any more time to think about it when the seventh seater cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"We've decided to push the Elite Ten competition up forward, something came up and we had no choice but to do so"

' _Something to do with Eizan, I gather'_

"But the good news is that Nakiri Senzaemon-dono is back from his business abroad and would be able to oversee the competition as well. It will be held two weeks from now, not that two months I promised you"

"Two weeks? Ha, you could make it one week from now and it wouldn't do much difference. I'm sure everyone is keen and ready for anything" boasted Mimasaka from beside Yukihira which got him a nasty glare from the older Aldini twin.

"I'm sure Mimasaka-san" said the brunette upperclassman.

"So here's the rub. All of you guys are going to compete amongst yourselves with different themes. The ones who come out the winner will then compete against us Elite Ten. There are two rounds. That is how the competition will be structured. It will be a point based system. Three judges with twenty points to give, each. The winners of the first round will be ranked by points and assume they are the bottom five of the Elite Ten, whereas _we_ will assume the positions of the top five of the Elite Ten. So for the next and final round, five of you will battle against the five of _us_. This will reshuffle the seats into the new Elite Ten Council." said Isshiki-senpai.

Now he was talking. Akira snorted. He had already kicked Kurokiba and Yukihira's arses in the Autumn elections, so defeating one of the Elite Ten was definitely within is sights. Out of all of them, Nakiri Erina was the easy target because she occupied the last seat. However, he no longer sought to dethrone her like in the beginning. He aimed higher than her.

Akira Hayama wanted the _first_ seat.

' _For Jun. She said I could change the world. I'll prove that she is right'_

"Hang on a minute Isshiki-senpai, there's nine of us here. We can't make an even number of pairings" Yukihira spoke up.

Damn, he was right. There was just him, Kurokiba, Yukihira, Tadokoro, Arato, Nakiri Alice, the Aldini twins and Mimasaka. Only nine of them.

"I know that, I was the one who picked out the pairings out of the lottery" said Isshiki. "To solve this I've invited a special guest to come back to us for this special event to temporarily fill in the missing tenth spot for you guys _and_ represent Eizan Etsuya's position in the last round."

Come back? What did he mean?

 _BAM!_

 _"Hey guys~ Did ya'll miss me?"_

Everyone twisted their heads around.

It was _Kobayashi Rindou,_ leering at the doorway.

* * *

"Who would have figured _Fratello!_ That one of the recent graduates would come back to do this!" said Isami. He couldn't contain his thrill.

His brother shook his head in disbelief "I feel sorry for the one who has to battle against the former Elite Ten so early on though" he said.

"Yeah, but I'm sure Alice-san could handle her. Besides if Alice-san loses, that'll mean only four of us will get through to the second round." said Isami.

That was how it was going to be. As soon as Kobayashi Rindou made her flamboyant entrance, things just got more interesting. Who would've thought she agreed to do this? Everyone was in a real state. Rumour had it that she left abroad to pursue her cooking career and make an international name for herself. She must have flown back when she had the chance to shred one of them to pieces... Isami remembered the feeling of his stomach twisting in excitement that the Elite Ten competition was drawing nearer. He and Takumi could definitely prepare in two weeks. He guaranteed that they will be in top form.

Isami could clearly see that Takumi was simmering beneath his stone-cold façade. Isami was ready to clamp his hand over his mouth if he spat out nasty words into the street at innocent passer-by's on account of Mimasaka if the dam burst, but it looked like he didn't need to. He was proud that his _fratello_ could now hold in his temper better. Ayame-chan was definitely good for him, he was beginning to mellow out. Isami wished he could take on Mimasaka in Takumi's place. _Fratello_ was once again paired up with that gorilla-faced oaf. Destiny had come full circle. This time, he believed _fratello_ would defeat him for the last time. He was the one who spat chewing gum onto his brother's _mezzaluna,_ he was the one who slandered his name in front of everyone and practically played _fratello_ like a fiddle in the Autumn Elections. That _bastardo_ was going to get it this time round. Takumi will be one, no, ten steps ahead this time! Isami repeated the pairings in his head.

 _'Hayama-kun vs. Megumi-chan_

 _Kurokiba-kun vs. himself_

 _Yukihira-kun vs. Arato-san_

 _Alice-san vs. Kobayashi-senpai_

 _Fratello vs. Mimasaka'_

Isami thought about what he was going to do about Kurokiba Ryou, he wasn't someone to joke about, not when he was tied with Yukihira in the Autumn elections last year in the grand final. When Isami heard his name fall on Isshiki-senpai's lips right after Kurokiba-kun's name, he instantly looked in his direction. He was a bit perturbed that Kurokiba-kun didn't acknowledge him back, not even a glance. Isami knew that he wasn't exactly on his brother's level and Kurokiba probably thought he amounted to nothing when he didn't even make it to the quarter finals in the Autumn elections. But _Dannazione!_ Isami had improved immensely both under _Pappa's_ tutelage when he went back to _Firenze_ for the summer holidays and even when he was back in Tokyo. Isami was going to show everyone, what he was truly made of and finally step away out of his brother's shadow into his own light.

The distinctive scrunch of paper told Isami that Takumi was clenching the summary sheet Isshiki-senpai handed out to everyone, with all the pairings in his pocket. He and Takumi were on their way back to their apartment. The streets were peppered with a few high school students returning from weekday cram classes and lots of business people on their way home too. The bright lights and noises from the cars provided a soothing calm to Isami. The meeting had run for about two hours and both were quite hungry. Now that they knew their pairings, everyone had the advantage to scope each other out. However, the theme of the battles won't be announced until the day before. That was just fine. He was fine with that. The biggest issue was keeping Mimasaka off his _Fratello's_ back. How was Takumi going to do it? It was lucky that Takumi managed to figure out he was being spied three days before his battle last year. That guy was so skilled in stalking, it was creepy.

"So how are you going to practice now, _Fratello_. You've paired up with Mimasaka again"

"I don't know. We'll see" he said curtly.

Isami sighed. Neither was in the mood to cook right now, and they didn't have much leftovers.

"Hey. How about we get some take away _bentous_ at the supermarket in Karakura honchou?" he offered.

Takumi nodded but didn't say anything. Isami didn't comment on his brother's decision to brood and just let him be. Soon they made it to the brightly lit supermarket. It was glaringly white and looked so clean and pristine. Isami loved the Japanese supermarkets. They sold everything he loved about Japanese culture. Lots of snacks, lots of classic Japanese food packed in convenient boxes. They all had super cute designs. His face was instantly hit with the air-conditioning of the supermarket when they made it inside. He felt his inner _otaku_ emerge when he caught sight of the beautifully lined specials items near the checkout counter.

"Hey Isami. I'm going to buy us some drinks. I'll meet you at the checkout" said Takumi, pointing in the other direction.

"Ah sure, I'll get an _unagi bentou_ and a _tonkatsu bentou_ " Isami smiled back at Takumi.

Takumi finally returned the smile and went off to the drinks section. Isami knew that his brother was going to take his sweet time choosing which tea they would have tonight. Although when it came to Ayame-chan, he no problems choosing which tea to get. It was always the peach ice tea, her favourite. There were such a huge variety and that was also what Isami loved about Japanese supermarkets. Lots to choose from! Isami perused each _bentou_ box carefully, reading the labels and looking at the actual food inside. Ever since Ayame-chan and her friends introduced him to these _bentous_ , he couldn't get enough. Why hadn't he discover these brands before? The other brands of _bentou_ boxes he used to eat didn't compare to these. These ones were more flavourful, and more homemade-tasting. Also, this brand come as self-heating when he pulled the string attached to the side. Japanese technology at its finest! Once he found the _unagi bentou_ and the _tonkatsu bentou_ , he stacked them together in his arms and stood up. Something interesting caught his attention from the corner of his eyes.

' _Oh, they've got a new bentou box flavour! Chicken curry and rice'_

Isami loved to try new things too. So he bent down to the side and reached for the new flavour of _bentou_ box when suddenly he felt one of the boxes in his arms slip.

"Ah!" he retracted his hand to quickly grab the box before it hit the ground until—

"Whoops! Careful there. Wouldn't want to eat your dinner off the floor now, would we?"

Isami blinked in shock as soon as he realised the _bentou_ box literally disappeared from view when it was mere centimetres away from being a mess at this feet. _Che?_ Where did it go? He scrambled back to his full height and looked up into the eyes of the person who held the rescued _bentou_ box in his grasp. It was a man. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties. He grinned at him with both his eyes closed. He was quite skinny, and lanky and dressed in all black. He had short dark hair and a wide friendly smile. He held out the _bentou_ box to Isami and he received it with a bow and sigh of relief.

" _Grazie_. I wouldn't know what to do if one of the shop attendants came along a saw what happened" he chuckled in embarrassment.

"Oh, you're _Italian_ huh? No worries. Happens to me sometimes. You wanted to try some of this too, right?" the kind man reached down a plucked a _bentou_ box of chicken curry and rice that Isami was aiming for and plopped it into his arms along with the other boxes. "This one's pretty good. Just had it last night" the man tilted his head and smiled.

"Really? Good to know. I've already tried most of the _bentou_ boxes here" said Isami.

"Well, isn't that clever. I like people who always expand their horizons. Are you an international student or something?" asked the man, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

" _Si,_ my brother and I are from _Italia_ and are studying at Tootsuki Culinary Academy" said Isami, brightly.

"I see, I see. Tough place to enter. You guys must be very talented. Hmm... Looks like it's getting dark quite fast outside. You better get going now. Who knows what unsuspecting shadows will jump out at you" said the man with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah. You're right. I've got to meet my brother at the checkout before he gets cranky. But thanks for saving our dinner… uh…" Isami's words tapered out when he realised he didn't know his name. The man opened his feline like eyes and slapped his hand gently on his forehead like he had forgotten too. Under the supermarket lighting, his irises shimmered eerily.

"My, where are my manners? The name's Orihara Izaya. See you around, kiddo"

* * *

 **You guys didn't forget about Hayama did you? And how about that, Rindou makes an appearance! I hope the story is traveling along at a good and natural pace.**

 **It's normal for the Japanese police to build relationships with people who later on become their informants. They're called** _ **kyouryokusha**_ **(** **協力者** **). They're usually people who manage bars or run a pawnshop. In some cases, they are people who have already been released from jail. In this case, Chief Inspector Shoseki is using Isshiki to be one of his** _ **kyoryokusha**_ **to keep an eye out for Azami and Orihara at/around Tootsuki.**

 **Speaking of Orihara! Isami~ my poor baby, you've had a run in with that bad, bad man. Coincidence?**

 **I hope you like this chapter, let me know what you'll think and I'll see you soon.**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	24. Four Strikes, Mimasaka Subaru

**G'day! I hope you've all been well :)**

 **I've created a poll on my profile for you guys: "Which OC Character do you like best in 'A Touch of Saffron'?". Check it out and choose your favourite gal/s or guy (poor Kuchiyose is just by himself lol) and you can have a look at what others have voted too :)**

 **Please enjoy my parting chapter. I swear on my pretty floral bonnet, I'll be back :)**

* * *

 _Chapter 24 – Four Strikes, Mimasaka Subaru_

* * *

" _Fufufufu_ … _Day One_. You think you could evade me, Takumi Aldini. But I'm always prepared and nothing escapes my notice. _Right down to a gnat's eyebrow_ "

Subaru was ecstatic he would battle against the Italian one-trick pony again. How many more times will he get the chance to whoop his arse? The Italian must be finding this humiliating to face his maker for the second time. The first time he executed a reconnaissance on the Aldini, he had garnered a lot of interesting information about him. Every tiny habit of his at home, average hour of sleep, preferred grip on the chef's knife, favourite drink to go with certain foods, phobias, birthmarks, most commonly worn underpants, whether he was a 'scruncher' or a 'folder'. _Just everything_. It said everything about his cooking style. He'd spent weeks learning all the details about him. Subaru licked his thick lips in glee.

Everything paid off and he even successfully baited him into a _shokugeki,_ which he knew he'd fall for. Just as he foresaw, the Aldini tragically lost his precious _mezzaluna_ to him. It was too easy! The Italian one-trick pony was too easy to emulate! He knew the Aldini was going to throw that white glove at him declaring his _Galateo del Duello_ because Aldini saw himself as an upright honourable Italian gentleman. He was predictable and of course, he couldn't resist going all Italian-mafia on him. He remembered how much his face twisted in icy rage when he spat cruel words about his brother to him. Ha! He wore his heart on his sleeve like some pansy! If he was going to get hurt that much because one guy said something bad against his brother, he didn't deserve to be a man at all, much less a chef. Not only did he get away with taunting his brother, the clincher was defeating him and stealing away his fated rematch against Yukihira in the Autumn Election semi-finals.

Then he lost every single one of his conquest prizes to that damn, low class diner chef. His ninety-nine consecutive wins were ripped from his grasp and had found his first loss with Yukihira to be a crushing blow. He was back at the bottom again.

Now this was different. It was the reshuffling of the Elite Ten seats. Subaru resumed his steadfast concentration at the task at hand. His information on Takumi Aldini needed updating and the latest data he collected was that Takumi Aldini got himself a _girlfriend_ and a new squad.

"Her name is Kanda Ayame. Sixteen years old. Goes to Karakura High school, class 2. Aspires to be a mechanical and robotics engineer. Heh. She's quite a looker too. He sure goes for the cute types" Subaru flicked through his memories, flipping the imaginary pages of expansive data he stored away into his mental file for Takumi Aldini.

Ever since he entered Tootsuki, he'd taught himself strategies to remember an incredible amount of information. It was famously known as _Method of Loci_. Subaru found it mighty useful. It was a well-known method of memory enhancement which used visualization to organize and recall information. Chefs have stock rooms or food pantries to store their ingredients and he treated his long-term memory the same way. He called it his _Memory Pantry._ He imagined it as a wide open stock pantry and he stored his data in bottles, tubs, jars, bags and recipe card boxes. He could enter his _Memory pantry_ whenever he wanted to review his information raiding. Whilst spying on many students, he had gained a wide depth of cooking knowledge, enough to improve all sorts of dishes from different cultures and styles to be better than his opponents who specialised in those fields. Thanks to his ability to scavenge enormous amounts of information in little time, he knew every single student in the school inside and out. _Right down to a gnat's eyebrow._

Eizan-senpai's faction was disbanded the day after his arrest and it honestly didn't come as much of a shock. That guy was messed up in the head. It didn't make a difference to him because the prick always let him go wild in his _shokugekis_ whenever he wanted. He wasn't too fussed about knowing every single thing about Eizan-senpai anyway because that guy never lifted a knife seriously in his time at Tootsuki. He only bothered stalking people he was interested in defeating. He didn't feel a sense of loyalty to him in the first place. Subaru was one of the first people the police had interviewed about Eizan-senpai's insider trading. Luckily he was let off the hook when they found out that he really had nothing to do with his _senpai's_ crime or had anything helpful to give them, but they still kept tabs on him now and again.

He had a sneaking suspicion they were using Isshiki Satoshi to keep an eye on him and that was truly annoying.

"Namikaze Chizuru. Same age, same school. Gamer girl. League of Legends champion is _Ezreal_. Player name is _RizaRaiQui._ Diagnosed with congenital anosmia." Subaru continued to reel through his _Memory pantry._

"Kuchiyose Byakko. Same age, same school. Star soccer player of Karakura High school. Illegally drives an AE86 trueno. Nakiri Alice's ex-boyfriend. Was dumped over a year ago…"

Mimasaka Subaru wasn't hiding up in the tree behind the Kanda residence just to review information on Takumi Aldini's new cheer squad. No, he was here to spy on him. The Italian boy decided to practice his cooking over at his girlfriend's house today, obviously trying his best to give him the slip by going somewhere other than his home or school. Hah, but Mimasaka Subaru never suffered fools gladly. From his perch in the tree, he was expertly clad in camouflage wear. He held his binoculars to his eyes and notebook and paper in his hand. Ordinarily he would write his findings down, read it over until he remembered it by heart and then burned the book. The tree he was staking out in wasn't that tall, but its foliage was thick enough to adequately cover him and he could see through to kitchen window.

Unfortunately, the blinds were partially closed so he couldn't see clearly, but he got a copy of Aldini's grocery receipt from the checkout boy he managed to wrangle out at the Karakura honchou supermarket. The Aldini brothers have been enjoying that place lately.

"Hehe. According to this list of ingredients, it seems like he's practicing _decoction_ "

The tell-tale _clang_ of a heavy pot being hefted onto the stove told him what he needed to know. He chuckled eagerly to see his predictions were running on the right tracks. Decoction was a method of extraction by the boiling of dissolved chemicals from herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots and bark. In other words, he was extracting oils, and extracts could be used in a variety of dishes. Subaru continued to scribble his notes into his notebook whilst he continued to analyse the shadows moving around behind the blinds.

This was going to be a piece of—

" _What the fuck are you doing in my yard?"_

Subaru jolted from his spot in the tree, the leaves slightly rustled. Who was there? Who said that? Did they just say it was _his_ yard? Oh fuck, one of Takumi's girlfriend's family member was home. Judging by the voice, he could be the father or the brother. He predicted that those two lovebirds wouldn't be alone in the house for too long and that someone was bound to come home. However he didn't count on being found out. He approximated that working hours usually ended at eight o'clock, meaning he would have had enough time to leave before getting caught. He didn't expect someone to be home _early_. Subaru knew he was completely hidden in the tree because even the stray cats didn't sense him. Also his camouflaged gear was on point, he made it himself. He found it unbelievable that some ordinary person was able to pick him out that effortlessly.

" _Get out from there before I chop the fucking tree down with you in it"_

Subaru screwed his eyebrows together and shuffled his hulking body down the tree. He'd never been caught for espionage and was greatly disturbed that someone was able to spot him from his perfect hide out. He noted the deep and gruff growl coming from the man and how threatening it was.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming down"

When he turned around, Mimasaka Subaru found himself staring into the eyes of a handsome devil. The man had his right hand resting against the handle of a sword secured by his hip, his thumb ready to push the blade out by the golden hilt. He kept one eye on the swordand the other on the man. He gulped. The man had one long eyebrow raised up and his chiselled jaw was set firmly. He had long, midnight blue hair tied up tightly and it swayed dangerously against the breeze of the evening air, reminding him of a vicious _samurai_. Subaru resisted the urge to shiver at the coldness in his eyes and he felt as if his soul had been sucked out of him from that glare alone. This man was sporting a trench coat, dress shirt and tie, trousers and thick boots. He had went up against many intimidating fuckers in Eizan-senpai's faction, but he'd never felt his life being threatened as he did now.

"Care to explain?" he growled.

He cleared his throat.

"My sincerest apologies, but I noticed there was an ' _o konoha zuku'_ or the 'collared scops owl' in your tree for some time now. I'm researching different species of owls in the Western Tokyo area for my project. I had to get this chance to study its distribution. I'm sorry for causing you inconvenience" Subaru delivered his prepared excuse expertly, making sure to put on an act of being a very dedicated nocturnal bird-watcher. He bowed and handed one of his notebooks to the man with both hands and he took it without a word and flicked through it.

On the outside, people saw him as honourable and friendly, but on the inside he was sadistic and cruel. He knew when and where to switch those two façades. He watched as the man with the sword, skimmed his eyes over the pages with utter boredom. Down to a gnat's eyebrows had multiple meanings. Not only did he not let any slight detail escape him, he also had multiple contingency plans and created heaps of alibis for himself. He had created a fake notebook beforehand filled with owl sketches, some random Japanese owl information and notes in there, arranged in a way to look like a scientific field data collection notebook.

"I hear no owls" said the man, snapping the book shut.

"Ah, yes well… I'm just having a look at its habitat for now" he said, wringing his hands together.

" _Beat it_ before I slice off all your African braids and sell it to a hair salon" he growled. The scowl intensified. He tilted the handle of his sword towards Subaru in warning.

Subaru took it as a sign to re-group. He had to admit, he didn't get as much information as he wanted to say the least and so his recon-operation was cut short by the unexpected early appearance of one of Aldini's girlfriend's family members. He definitely had to be the father. He should do some more research on her family too. Who the hell was he to carry around a _samurai_ sword so publicly? He quickly grabbed his stuff and skedaddled before the tall and frightening man changed his mind.

* * *

"Okie-dokie, _day two"_

Mimasaka Subaru wasn't able to get much more information on Takumi's girlfriend's family. It was like he'd hit a road block, which was frustrating. So far she seemed perfectly ordinary. _Too ordinary._ He went through their mail and found nothing that was particularly identifying as to who her parents were. He did web searches of her name and found thousands of 'Kanda Ayame's as they were really common girls' names. Next, he even did web searches for _'Katana'_ and _'Kanda'_ in the same search bar, but the pages wouldn't pull up. He never saw the mother and he could only assume the man who confronted him was the father. It bugged him, but that wasn't the priority right now. What mattered was that he found a new hiding spot.

This time it was a thick bush to the side of the house.

Subaru upgraded his camouflage gear to include more sprigs and leaves to mat his mottled khaki and brown pattern. He also included face paint for extra measure. This should do the trick. He was going to be more mindful when that man would return from work and remembered to keep his ear peeled, so as to not have a repeat of the other day. It was a blow to his pride as a professional stalker, but he sucked it up. Mimasaka Subaru never abandoned a reconnaissance mission. He tilted his binoculars up so that he could get a different angle on the kitchen window. It was a tight spot, but he could manage. The two lovebirds had returned from the grocery store and he once again got a hold of the receipt.

"Heh. Desserts today" murmured Subaru as he read through the list of sweet ingredients.

This was going to be a piece of—

 _Flashing white light blinded the bejesus out of him._

Subaru dropped his binoculars and covered his eyes from the painful brightness. When they no longer stang and dripped with tears, he managed to peep through his gloved fingers and saw a tall silhouette approaching him. The sound of thick boots clunking on the empty driveway got closer and closer until he could hear the _tap, tap, tapping_ of a thumb on a metal hilt.

' _Oh man, it's him again'_

His gut wrenched. He could barely make out a black sedan and it had the high-beam on full blast directed at him and the bush. It was parked sideways, in the middle of the road like a maniac driver with its sole purpose to face directly at him. It was like he never intended to pull up into the driveway and just parked his car anywhere he damned like as long as he could point those high-beams at him and the bush. Subaru was starting to get super annoyed now, but he quelled his irritation.

"Ah hello again" Subaru faked a bashful smile. "I know this must look like—"

" _Get the fuck up and go"_

Without a word he picked up his notebooks and skedaddled.

* * *

"I won't make the same mistake again. _Day three's_ the charm"

Subaru sat in the small park in Kitakawase, not to far from Aldini's girlfriend's house. This time he had no camouflage gear with him, just his school uniform because he had a new and better plan. He noticed that there was always a small gap to the side the blinds were unable to cover at the kitchen window.

That was where he planted his special GoPro camera with built in bluetooth and dual mic-system.

It was late in the afternoon and he didn't need to tail the Aldini this time because he had a full-proof plan C. He had skipped classes this morning so that he could pull this next recon-mission off. He sat on the park bench and had his laptop open, playing the live feed. He adjusted the earphones over his above-average sized head and turned the volume up. The camera was small, about the size of a bracelet gift box, so it was easy to mount in the bottom corner of the window and keep it hidden from view. From this angle, he could see half the kitchen, but no view of the living room. Basically, all he needed was to see Aldini and he was cutting up some vegetables whilst his girlfriend was doing her homework on the dining table.

" _Have you heard back from your mother yet?"_ asked the Aldini.

" _Yep, her business trip had been extended again"_ she sighed.

" _That's about the third time she's got that extension, right? Where is she at the moment"_ replied Aldini.

" _Yeah well, that's working life for you haha. She's currently in Shanghai"_ she chuckled while it sounded like she was pushing buttons on a calculator.

" _I'm thinking of using elements from my spice seminar assignment for the competition"_

" _But you don't even have the theme for your battle yet"_ replied his girlfriend.

" _No, I'm talking about the techniques I used and maybe the concept even, not the actual recipe, mio caro. Techniques can be applied to any theme"_

Subaru had a photocopy of the assignment right there with him. It wasn't marked by Shiomi-sensei yet, but it looked pretty damn good and he intended to make the most of it if he had to. The audio quality didn't disappoint. The video feed was sharp since he paid good money for his piece of equipment. In all honesty he could have just dropped this espionage and went with what he had, but he genuinely enjoyed the process of sneaking around and uncovering information. He was going to pull this recon-mission successfully. He usually didn't use his special GoPro camera but desperate times called for desperate measures. He had made a third attempt dig out information about Aldini's little girlfriend's family but this time came up with only small stuff. Her mother worked in for a banking firm and was currently overseas, Kanda Ayame had entered in multiple junior engineering competitions for middle school and high school levels. Surprisingly he found more information about her friends than _her_. Namikaze worked at the local second hand bookstore and Kuchiyose's family ran a _tofu_ shop. This was starting to be more challenging than he thought.

Subaru looked down and began writing some notes, concentrating on his target. So far Aldini was practicing a variety of cutting techniques. There were about a hundred different methods depending on which cuisine, but currently he was practicing some Mediterranean cutting styles.

" _Ayame, CIA boy. Go to the car and get those bags in here. The old fart discovered express mail for the billionth time and sent us weird shit to our old address again"_

" _Y-Yes sir"_

" _OTOU-SAN! His name is Takumi Aldini!"_

Aldini had shock written all over him. Recognition and uneasiness flashed through his eyes as he quickly nodded to that unmistakable voice. Yep, her father was back again. Subaru snorted derisively at the clearly offensive nickname and how the Aldini couldn't say a word back at her father, relying on his little girlfriend to stand up for him.

 _"Do it, before he's forever known as 'Nazi-boy'"_

 _"Grrrrrr"_

 _"D-don't worry about it Ayame..."_

Such a pansy. Aldini put down the kitchen knife and hastily wiped his hands on his apron before scuttling out the kitchen. The sound of scraping chair also told him his little girlfriend wasted no time following her father's orders. Finally, the tall man came into view as he strode into the kitchen. He looked exactly the same as the other two times he encountered him, except he wasn't carrying the sword or the coat. He ignored Aldini's ingredients on the kitchen bench and zeroed in on the fridge. Subaru held his breath and leaned closer to his laptop screen, watching and analysing. The father was drinking something from the fridge at the same time checking his mail. Then he tossed the envelopes across the kitchen until it landed on the dining table with a _swoosh_. Subaru could hear, but couldn't see Aldini and his girlfriend dragging in said heavy bags, pants, grunts and shuffling noises relayed back through his headphones. They were probably dumping them in the living room, but he kept is attention on the father.

In a blink of an eye, the father was staring at him _right through the screen_.

Subaru's breath hitched.

' _Shit! He's spotted the camera!'_

His body didn't shift from his position by the fridge, only his coal-black eyes moved. The father's eyebrows into an arrogant and nasty lour. In four swift strides, the camera lens was blocked by an eye full of white dress shirt. The view began to jiggle up and down violently as the beast of a man pulled the blinds aside, opened the window and grabbed the camera. Bursts of random loud noises erupted into his headphones as fingers were all over the camera inbuilt mic. The father didn't say a single word as he tilted the camera upwards so that the visual was steady again. He was glaring down into the lens, directly as Subaru, a knowing smirk played out across his lips like a shark.

" _Tch"_

" _Otou-san, what are you doing?"_ he could still manage to hear Aldini's girlfriend's voice, but he was anchored to the spot and none of his muscles remained frozan. Sweat poured from his brow and couldn't rip his eyes away from the man.

" _I'm going out. I've got an owl to catch"_

The laptop screen erupted into a burst of grey and white static waves and he yanked his headphones off from an explosion of super high frequency sound waves. The last thing he saw was grinning, sharp teeth and menacingly cold eyes.

Subaru packed up his things and high-tailed it out of the park.

* * *

"Man, this is getting so _fucked up"_

Subaru grunted as he paced up and down in a different section of the park. He'd fucking lost his special GoPro camera. There was no way he was setting foot back in that place to retrieve what remains of it was left. That reconnaissance last time didn't even last twenty minutes before he had to retreat back to Tootsuki. He stayed up all night waiting for that demon _samurai_ to track him down and pay him a visit and skewer him. He had went so far as to set traps outside his dormitory room and window, but he never came. He was no ordinary man and Subaru was having extreme difficulty figuring out who he was. He refused to give up. He was the master of espionage and analysing his targets was his game.

This was going to be his last shot. He had managed to plant an audio bug onto Aldini directly.

Subaru predicted that the girlfriend's father was probably keeping check around the house for other suspicious cameras so he stayed well clear. All he had to do was bump into the stupid Italian during Chef Chapelle's class and just like that, he stuck on an audio bug under the collar of his school blazer. The stupid little prick didn't even suspect a thing and thought that he was just jerking him around. He enjoyed watching him yap like a tiny Chihuahua, screaming random Italian expletives while his equally stupid brother held him back. He had paid _very_ good money for this piece of equipment, although not as much as the camera, and this was the first time he was using it. Aldini had this little habit where he would always place his blazer on the back of the dining chair that was closest to the kitchen. The audio bug had a wide audio range so it would be able to hear across the kitchen and probably living room clearly. Also, it's signal was quite strong, reaching a couple of kilometres so he would be able to listen into the conversation from a distant place without a hitch. From there, he could analyse their conversation and uncover more information.

Subaru adjusted his headphones as he crouched behind a bush in the park. He wasn't taking any chances if her father did a drive-by in that black sedan around town. He was decked out in his home-made camouflage gear along with his face paint so that he would blend into the park bush perfectly, just to be on the safe side.

For the past hour, he'd been listening to random rubbish about rockets and submarines coming from the Aldini's little girlfriend. He quickly grew bored and irritated since there was no mention of any cooking at all. She wouldn't stop talking! She kept going on and on and on and to make it worse, Aldini kept asking her questions about her blasted rockets and submarines, and she wasn't shutting up anytime soon. He'd researched her interests, but had no idea that she was such an obsessive know-it-all for the hard sciences. How did Aldini stand her?

" _I can't believe they increased the price on eggs…"_ said the girlfriend.

Finally! Something about food.

" _I know right? Normally eggs are on special"_ Aldini replied.

" _Well at least we got really nice and fresh capsicum. Look how big and shiny they are?"_

Subaru grinned wickedly. He didn't need to sneak around and retrieve their receipts this time because they were discussing openly about what ingredients they were buying in the supermarket, all heard by him through his audio bug. He heard the jangle of keys, full knowing that they finally reached his girlfriend's house.

" _Oh Otou-san. You're home early!"_ she said.

Subaru shuddered at the mention of her father. He convinced himself he was perfectly safe. There was no way that man was going to figure out his plan D.

" _Tch"_

" _Good afternoon, Kanda-san. Did y-you have a good day at the—"_

" _I'm fine. Hurry up and stop fucking dawdling"_

Subaru chuckled as the Aldini got cut off by the gruff man. That guy was always in a foul mood and swore like a sailour. Aldini's voice was laced with anxiety as he tried to feign bravery in greeting his girlfriend's father. The sound of rustling grocery bags being plonked on the kitchen bench caught his attention.

" _So which recipe are you going to start off first? The Japanese one? Or the Chinese one?"_ asked the girlfriend.

" _I'm going to practice some traditional Japanese dishes. I got it from Marui-san. He's one of the Polarstar Dorm members. But first I—"_

" _CIA-boy, come here. Ayame, go get a pack of ice"_

Subaru rubbed his chin and sighed. Damn, he was about to hear exactly what the Aldini was planning for the day. At least he could add 'ransack Marui Zenji's Polarstar dorm room' to his agenda. Her father was beyond demanding and was always throwing wrenches into his plan.

" _What for, Otou-san? Are you injured?"_

" _Just do it"_

The voice sounded louder and clearer meaning Aldini obeyed and was probably standing in front of her father. He had a sinking feeling in his gut, but he continued to psyche himself up that this was probably nothing and there was no way her father found his audio-bug.

" _Hold still"_ said the man in a low voice.

" _I-Is everything alright Kanda-san? Huh? O-Oi! Please h-hold on for a second… Why are you holding your sword like that at me? Wait! WAAH!- Scrshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"_

 _Uh oh_

No matter how much Subaru tried to adjust the audio on his laptop. He could only hear the sharp and incessant crackle of static and jumbled frequencies through his headphone. His laptop slid from his knees and onto the grass. He sat there like a sitting duck. He couldn't believe it. He _just couldn't_. That was his ultimate plan and the last one he had. _He found the audio-bug._ There were no more tricks up his sleeves. He'd just lost both of his most prized espionage equipment in less than two weeks.

There was nothing he could do. Just who the hell was that man? He couldn't find anything identifying about him! It was like he could sense his daughter and her boyfriend were being watched and their conversations were being tapped. He knew _exactly_ where the camera and the audio bug was like he had a sixth sense. He packed up his gear and walked slowly away from the park.

"Aldini… you will pay…"

* * *

 _SLAM!_

Subaru looked up from his notes, which he was busy reviewing to permanently store in his _Memory pantry_. He was currently in the most secluded part of the school library where other students wouldn't dare approach because they knew this was his hangout to compile and solidify his information.

"These are yours, I believe"

It was an incredibly smug-looking Takumi Aldini. His blue eyes were burning with victory and his lips were upturned into a haughty smirk. His uniform looked incredibly pristine as ever. His hands rested against his hips and he jutted them out, like he already won the whole damn Elite Ten competition. Subaru glanced down and saw a mess of electrical wires and silver coloured plastic shards. Next to it was a GoPro camera with a cracked outer casing, and its SD card flap open and no SD card inside.

"I was going to give it to my girlfriend to pull apart and tinker with to her heart's content. But I thought I'd better show you the _'fruits of your efforts'_ instead"

It was his audio bug smashed to pieces and the empty, no-longer-functioning GoPro camera.

"You've been wasting a lot of time trying to spy on me. I'm surprised you were willing to make four attempts. I thought you would've learnt your lesson since the first time and realised that your dirty tactics will no longer work on me" said Aldini in a leveled voice.

Subaru chuckled. This earned him a confused look from Takumi Aldini.

"You dunce. My perfect trace is what defeated you and will defeat you again. As far as I'm concerned you are the first person I will have a repeat battle against and I'm going to make my second win as delicious as possible and make it as twice as shameful for you. So yes, four attempts to secure it is a small price to pay. Heh, at least you grew some brains and didn't discard your receipts this time. But that still is not enough" said Subaru, standing up from his chair and dwarfing the blond Aldini's smaller form. He procured out a stapled bundle of supermarket dockets and waved it at his face. The blonde Italian peered closer and just sighed.

"I know you and your little girlfriend have been making trips to the supermarket for your ingredients. It wasn't actually that hard to get a copy of the receipts from the checkout. You saved me the trouble from digging through your trash" cackled Mimasaka Subaru.

"Ayame and I have been making separate purchases at different checkout counters. I knew you were going to do something like this. I asked her to buy what _I_ wanted to practice with while I bought what _she_ wanted to eat at school. You're actually holding _her_ receipts. I wasn't joking when I said I'd be ten steps ahead of you"

Subaru was flabbergasted. He saw with his own eyes through his own binoculars that the two of them were together at one checkout counter… unless they also bought their items at different times… Subaru crushed the dockets in his apish hands and stuffed them back into his pockets, gritting his teeth.

"Have you learnt _nothing_ from your defeat with Yukihira?"

"I don't give a flying fuck about him. He thinks he's some matyr, that he could change me with just _one_ loss. Here's news for you. _People don't change_ and I ain't about to. They just become a better or worse version of themselves. Right now, I got something better in me emerging. You might not see it now, but the whole damn world will soon enough"

" _Sul serio?_ You are so petty. You lost against Yukihira and now you don't feel so mighty anymore and you're covering it up by degrading yourself and picking on people you already triumphed over. You bury yourself in your past glories and are too scared to face forward or what's ahead of you. Too afraid to change for the future. You are pathetic"

Subaru gnashed his teeth as his shackles started to rise.

' _Why that little son of a—!"_

"Also! I can't believe you didn't figure out Ayame on your own soon enough" he asked.

' _What the fuck?'_

Subaru didn't like where this was heading, so he puffed out his chest, trying to show the Aldini that he wasn't intimidating him in the least.

"What's there to know about your little girlfriend? I know where she lives now, thanks to you" he licked his lips at the Aldini and he visual bristled and glared at him savagely. Yeah, that got him to shut up, all he had to do was make a go at his girlfriend to stir him up that badly.

The Aldini scoffed at his face. His eyes narrowed and transformed into molten cobalt.

"Do you know how her father was able to foil your despicable plans so easily? He's with the police. He runs TMPD and is both an expert swordsman and a _kendouka_. That's why. He could easily sense where suspicious people like you are hiding with his eyes closed and is extremely observant of where all the camera and listening devices are hiding. That's how experienced he is and you should have figured that out"

"Hmmm… So that's why you've been practicing at her house. Using her father like a guard-dog. How pathetic can you get?" he rubbed his chin, staring down at him gleeful condescension.

The Aldini shook his head and had the balls to sigh at him. Now he was getting on Subaru's nerves.

"It worked to my advantage. I outwitted you and wasted your time. So much for your super-stalking powers" the Aldini continued to taunt him.

"So what if I did had a little trouble researching? Ha! Eventually everything, every little scrap of information, will be laid out before me even if your little girlfriend is not a Tootsuki student. I could use a little challenge to improve on my spying skills, like I did to your inferior lemon-curd _semifreddo_ , couldn't I?" Subaru advanced on the Aldini and was slightly displeased to see that he didn't back down and he glared harder up at him. Was the Aldini baiting him with his own girlfriend?

"How about I find out what pyjamas' she wears? What bra and panties she likes? Her favourite sleeping position? Maybe even how she likes to bathe herself? What sensitive areas get her squealing? Hehehehe"

Subaru licked his lips and took sickening pleasure in the unleashed fury and ire blazing in the Italian prick's eyes. His jaw was clenched so tightly that his teeth started to chatter. His face was as red as the devil himself and his lips pulled over his teeth into a boiling snarl. His body coiled and uncoiled wanting to punch the daylights out of Subaru, but restraining himself like a goody-two-shoes he was. Ha! Saying nasty things about his girlfriend got a bigger and funnier reaction than talking shit about his brother.

" _You fool._ You understand nothing. She's the Superintendent General of the TMPD's daughter _._ If you cross _me_ , then you cross _her_ and then you cross her _father_ too _._ Unless you want to share a cell with Eizan, or worse, have your own body-bag, then I suggest you keep out of my business, and hers and mind your own, you dishonourable low-life" seethed the Aldini.

Soon the temperature in the library rose as the animosity between the students sky-rocketed, their fighting spirits clashing with each other. The Aldini wanted to raise hell? Then he will up the fucking ante and _torture_ him in the competition. He will bring the fucking party.

"There's no way you can beat me again with those same cheap and dirty tactics. _And don't you EVER talk about my girlfriend like that again, or I will CUT you with your own knife"_

* * *

"How's your shoulder?"

Takumi winced as he removed his blazer and placed it on his coat hanger. It was after school and he and Ayame were hanging out at his place, taking a break from his culinary training at her house. Isami was once again having a phone date with Bianca and was gushing all over the place outside on the balcony. Ayame found it incredibly amusing as that was the first thing he did when they got back to Minamikawase. She asked him to say 'Hi' to Bianco from her and he was ecstatic to do so.

Takumi and Isami found it quite enjoyable to make a trip to her high school and escort Ayame back to their place to hang out. They stopped by at _Meshina_ for some ice cream as well. She'd been staying back at later hours working on some things which provided ample time for Takumi and Isami to take their own breather, just walking around to clear their heads around Karakura Town as they made their way to Karakura High school. Luckily Namikaze had already left at the usual home-time to get to her part-time work while Kuchiyose went off to after-school soccer practice for the next interschool tournament, according to Ayame. The weather had already started to get chillier as Autumn approached and the tree leaves began to turn with the seasons. Ayame's uniform changed too. Now she was donning her grey, red-trimmed school blazer along with her usual grey skirt instead of the knitted beige vest. Likewise, he'd been seeing Namikaze and Kuchiyose do the same on other occasions.

"It's ok. Although, I don't think it was necessary for your father to jab the handle of his sword onto my shoulder that hard. It only hurts a bit now… he could've just removed the listening device by hand" said Takumi.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I think he was starting to get a bit annoyed at your friend snooping around my house. I think if he came back for the fifth times, _Otou-san_ would literally draw his _katana_ , not caring if he was a minor or not" said Ayame, placing another ice pack on his shoulder.

' ' _Abit annoyed' was an understatement… he hit me hard enough to crush the bloody thing into hundreds of pieces'_

Takumi could still remember clearly the sound and feel of a sickening crunch. It was like an armoured cockroach was squished on his shoulder and it hurt like hell. Her father had actually held up his sword and rammed the butt of the handle onto his shoulder without any hesitation or a twitch in his face.

"That unforgivable creep is hardly my friend" he growled.

"How did your confrontation with him go?" she asked.

Takumi decided not to reveal the abhorrent things Mimasaka threatened him with about Ayame. He didn't want her worry. He decided not to give her the broken audio-bug or the broken GoPro camera as she already had so many circuit boards in her room and her father had recently brought home a broken lie detecting machine for her to play with. He didn't want to add to the clutter in her room. Mostly, he wanted them to serve as a reminder to Mimasaka to never get in his way again.

"He won't be coming near you or me anymore, that's for sure. The possibility of him dropping his underhanded ways is looking impossible. He refuses to see that cooking solely to crush and humiliate his opponents will only be a self-destructive end. If Yukihira and I couldn't talk sense into him, then nothing will. He can't change."

Ayame hummed a bit. "I don't think it's as black and white as people can or cannot change. It's more like some are ready to change and others are not. One reason people resist change is that they focus on what they have to _give up_ rather than what they have _to gain._ It takes a great deal of courage to see that if _all_ you have is _what_ you have"

Takumi turned his head towards Ayame. He looked at her and for some reason he could have sworn there was some sort of glow around her. Then he realised that it was just his imagination because he was just in awe. Ayame looked back at him and she slowly turned pink under his heavy gaze. Takumi was taken completely off guard about what she had just said. Here he was, sulking and ranting about how despicable Mimasaka was and he dragged her and her father into his plan to throw back Mimasaka's creepy-stalker-fetish into his ugly mug. Meanwhile, Ayame was overseeing everything from the merciful side of the whole ordeal. Maybe she was right. Spying and sneaking around was the only way Mimasaka knew how to fight his battles and so he clang onto it like a lifeline. Maybe deep down he was too scared to change and the only reason he was hell-bent on continuing to be such a _bastardo_ was because he didn't know _how_ to his methods. He probably thought he was already beyond redemption. Takumi truly pitied him.

"You have more than advanced scientific factoids in there" Takumi smiled and gently prodded her in the forehead.

She giggled like wind chimes and poked him back in the cheeks. "With friends like Chizuru-chan and Kuchiyose-kun. One must learn to think from all angles when trouble comes along"

"Well said, _mio caro._ I am grateful that your father agreed to let me practice cooking in your home. I wasn't sure if he would put up with it, since you told me he'd been taking more frequent breaks from his work and I'm probably the last person he wants to see around the house"

"He can't say 'no' to a face like mine" she smiled brightly up at him.

Takumi settled onto the sofa with Ayame nestled by his side. Truthfully, he wouldn't be able to say no to her either when she smiled up at him like that. He'd been seeing exactly what it meant to be 'daddy's little princess' and how much Ayame could wrap that terrifying police officer around her pinky. Other than that, his _amore_ was the most supportive and best girlfriend in the world and he couldn't be happier even if he won first seat in the Elite Ten competition. He stroked the tops of her head and kissed her sweetly on the forehead. He breathed in her scent, filling his lungs completely. Now she and her father had delicious food stocked up in the fridge. That was the least he could do for causing them so much trouble.

"You know, Mimasaka couldn't find any information about you, and your father being the Superintendent General in the first place. He's quite well known thought, right? If he found out who he was in the beginning he would've quit this creepy stalking. Do you have any ideas about that?"

Ayame rubbed her face against his unharmed shoulder and yawned. She must be tired, and he was starting to feel the weariness too.

"Yeah, he is very well known, but only within certain circles and he prefers to keep it that way. He hates attention. _Otou-san_ has a cybercrime division under him. Part of their job is to monitor and censor information relating to police officers and their families to make sure we're protected from criminals and _yakuza_ who seek revenge or something like that. So not many people can find links between _Okaa-san_ and I with him. Also _Otou-san_ used to be part of the JSDF therefore information about him is confidential and quite scarce" said Ayame as her voice grew quieter and muffled. She swung her feet up onto the sofa and curled herself like a cat by his side.

"I see. Umm… Wh-when will he stop calling me 'CIA-boy'?"

"Hmm... When will Chizuru-chan ever acknowledge your given name?"

"…never…"

He admit defeat to that. It was a silly question on his part. With people like them in his daily life, who needs enemies?

* * *

 **Takumi does have his badass moments.**

 **Writing in Mimasaka's perspective was tricky. I don't know him as well as the other characters. In my story he hasn't reflected on his wrong doing and nothing has changed. I thought it sounded too idealistic if he abandoned his methods over ONE loss. If YOU failed at something ONCE, would you give up? I don't think so, and neither would Mimasaka. My personal belief is that people don't often learn from their first failure and Mimasaka.**

 **Ayame's father is still being the typical 'alpha dad', but he seems to be tolerating Takumi fine. Takumi will need to try harder to earn her father's approval and respect haha!**

 **Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	25. Food for Thought

_Chapter 25 - Food for Thought_

* * *

Takumi gripped his phone tightly in his palm and pressed it close to his ear.

"So up first is Hayama and Tadokoro-san huh…" he said.

" _Si, the first match will be held in the Shokugeki Hall, Block A stadium"_ said his brother on the other side.

Takumi clucked his tongue. He'd just finished doing some cooking practice in one of the study kitchens. It looked like pairs were being notified their themes at random, so no one literally knew what was coming up until the day before. He continued to wipe down the bench, listening keenly to whatever else Isami had to say.

" _I've just left Polar Star Dorm now, and Tadokoro-chan's told me that the theme for tomorrow is_ _ **High Tea**_ _"_

"Ah, that will certainly be interesting!" Takumi grinned widely.

He had to admit that he possessed a certain bias for some of his classmates. Personally, he was cheering for Tadokoro Megumi because _Cristo_ bless her, she had worked so hard and strived for so long in the face of great adversity. Adversity that came in the form of bullying and an overabundance of self-doubt. She was probably the hardest working girl in Tootsuki he ever knew. She'd been knocked down so many times and she would always get right back up, after a good cry of course, and face forward and try again. If anything, that girl deserved success and Takumi was all for it. Himself, Isami, Yukihira and all the Polar Star citizens were behind her every step of the way, offering her as much encouragement as they could muster. Hayama on the other hand was gifted and incredibly skilled. No matter what, he was going to succeed in life anyway as long as he stood beside Shiomi-sensei, his guardian. He lived on her support and didn't need anyone else's. When it came to a theme such as _**High Tea**_ _,_ Takumi couldn't imagine Hayama pulling off such a delicate and elegant three–tiered platter… but unexpected things always happened in Tootsuki Culinary Academy.

" _Anyway Fratello, I think we should head off home now. I'll meet you at the front gates?"_

" _Si_ , see you soon Isami"

Takumi hung up and threw back his head releasing a sigh. He neatly placed the dish cloth in the washing hamper near the front of the kitchen doors and proceeded to pack away his bits and pieces in his knife case. As he was doing so, he gently caressed the indent which once housed his _Mezzaluna_. He tried not to grit his teeth, he'd been doing that so much lately whenever his mind wandered over to that _bastardo_ Mimasaka. Fortunately, he hadn't seen a single hair on that hulk's head for the past week and was eternally grateful for that. Ayame would often try to calm him down and give him weak shoulder massages and tell him about how his teeth would wear themselves down if he kept doing that when he was stressed. His shoulders would continue to ache for a good hour after her little massage session but he didn't have the heart to tell her that her that they weren't really effective. Perhaps he could slip her a handout of tips for shoulder massages from the masseuse clinic into her bedroom when she wasn't looking…

Speaking of Ayame…

She hadn't been picking up his calls or his text messages for _four days_. None at all. She'd mentioned that she'd be very busy with upcoming exams and would be studying her guts out now that the alarm clock competition was over. He took a photo of her submitting her entry into Tokyo University. She was brimming with excitement and he couldn't resist taking capturing that into a memory. Now that she resumed study mode, he stocked up her fridge with ready-made meals filled with his love and care, so she wouldn't have to worry about cooking. Similarly, he'd been so busy with school and preparing for his awaited match in the Elite Ten competition that he hadn't gotten around to visiting her or checking up on her at all during the last week. They both needed time with themselves to work hard, he understood that but he still missed their interactions. He'd normally finish practice late into the afternoon and late in the night back at the apartment with Isami also. Even so, they regularly messaged each other in the morning before school and then at night before they went to bed. Suddenly it all stopped on her end just _four days ago._ She no longer responded back or picked up his calls! He called and texted even more just to see if she even saw the texts and missed calls and still nothing.

' _Was I texting her too often? Was I disturbing her study too much? CRISTO! DOES SHE STILL LOVE ME?!'_

Despair gnawed at him from the horrible thought that he was being a nuisance to her. He stopped in the middle of his cleaning up and doubled over the metal counter top, holding his body up just barely above the cold surface, heaving and trembling. It was possible, wasn't it! No, no. He was being silly, his panic mode was getting the best of him and he was overacting like an _idiota_. Ayame was just studying very hard. He straightened up and tugged his crisp chef's uniform down. He breathed out a sigh and counted to ten in his head until he calmed down and levelled himself. He was embarrassed such a thought crossed his mind. He loved Ayame and he was sure she still loved him too.

The blonde Italian proceeded to go about his business with a stronger mentality. He entered the change rooms and stripped out of his _Trattoria Aldini_ uniform and donned his school uniform again. The kitchen halls were closing early today for maintenance and so he decided it would be a good idea to pay his _amore_ a much overdue visit instead. Maybe then, he'd find out how she'd been going. He fished out his phone and called Isami again.

 _Brrrr… Brrrr… Brrrr… Brrrr… Click._

" _Fratello?"_

"Ah, Isami, actually you go on ahead. I want to visit Ayame for a bit" said Takumi.

He walked at a brisk pace through the almost empty corridors. He raked his hair back, pushing his fringe out of his eyes.

" _Oh okay, nessun problema! Tell her I said hello"_ said Isami cheerfully.

"I will" Takumi hung up again.

As soon as he stepped out into the courtyard, he was hit in the face with a scene overflowing with banners, streamers, posters and handouts all over the buildings and the ground. It was a kaleidoscopic nightmare. He didn't know what on earth Isshiki- _senpai_ was doing but this wasn't the best way to advertise the Elite Ten competition to the whole school! Takumi groaned and ploughed on through, trying to ignore the _'FIRST EVER ELITE 10 SHOKUGEKI'_ and _'WHO WILL WIN? WHO'S CUISINE WILL REIGN SUPREME?!'_ coloured boldly in the school colours of blue, red and yellow on said banners and posters. He thought he would be used to it by now, but the tasteless sparkles commonly found in those _purikura_ photo-booths dotting the handouts made him cringe. Of course this was a huge event and Takumi loved the enthusiasm the student body was investing in this once-in-a-life-time opportunity and yes, Takumi knew he could get quite theatrical and flamboyant at times. It was due to his _il sangue italiano_. However he reckoned all this advertising for the event could've been a lot classier and tasteful like himself!

He shifted his shoulder bag slightly and made his way to the bus stop. His mind drifted again. He wondered what his _amore_ was up to. Was she studying hard? Was she eating? Was she keeping herself hydrated? Was she taking regular breaks? _Did she still love him?_ _Cristo..._ he was doing it again. Doubting. He knew what Ayame was like when she was so focused on her studying. She sometimes needed someone to pull her _'out of the rabbit hole'_ so to speak. Maybe that was it, she fell into that endless pit of exam-madness.

Takumi hopped onto the bus and relaxed into the seat, not too far back and not too close to the front. He sighed and propped his elbow onto the window and rested his chin in his palm. He continued to stare out into the scenery and watched it blur by.

Once he arrived in busy Karakura honchou, he walked his way towards Kitakawase ward, Ayame's neighbourhood. Ayame lived in a nice area. It was peaceful, quite and calm. It was just an ordinary Japanese ward in Western Tokyo. There was hardly any traffic, mostly just bicycles, totally a suburban area. Takumi clasped his fingers together and placed it behind his head, the niggling sensation of worry was still buzzing in his mind. He quickened his pace, but not too fast as to panic himself. As he turned the corner and walked down her street, he saw two figures approaching from the opposite direction. He squinted his eyes and could just make it out to be a tall person and short person. He pulled his arms down and stuffed them into his school pants pockets and the two people opposite him quickened their pace too.

' _Is that...Namikaze and Kuchiyose?'_

"Oh hey! It's _Dante!_ What are you going here?"

It was really was them, coming to visit Ayame too. Namikaze also gasped loudly as if it was such a strange thing for him to be walking around this area, so close to Ayame's home. He felt his eyes twitch already in annoyance. Why was that so unusual? He was her _boyfriend_ , he had every right to be on the pavement outside of his _amore's_ house!

"I'm visiting Ayame of course. And it's _Takumi!_ Get it right!" he said in utter exasperation.

"Us too. We're kinda worried, she hadn't been turned up to school for the last few days. Also she hasn't been answering my messages or picking up my calls. We wanted to check if everything's alright" said Namikaze, waving her smartphone around. Kuchiyose nodded solemnly.

 _'Che?'_

Now that he thought about it, both Namikaze and Kuchiyose had pretty concerned and dejected looks on their faces. So it wasn't just him. Why did Ayame disappear off the radar? This was starting to sound pretty serious. Takumi pursed his lips and dipped his eyebrows in a frown. Anxiety bubbled up within him and his distress kept on mounting.

"She hasn't been answering mine either..." he murmured, unfolding his arms and tapping his finger on his chin. He couldn't think of a reason for her to be physically incapable of picking up her phone and checking her messages. Takumi straightened his posture and straightened his shoulder bag. Without a second to lose, he opened her gate and her friend's following closely behind, striding right up to the door.

 _Knock, Knock, Knock_

He stepped back and waited.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Maybe you should knock a little harder"

"I-I was going t-to do that!" Takumi huffed loudly at Namikaze smart-arsary. A blush broomed across his face at the little troll trying to tell him what to do and how to do it! He got this! He totally got this!

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Ayame?" Takumi tried calling through the door for good measure.

"Hmm, maybe she isn't home..." Namikaze pulled out her phone and tapped quickly onto it and placed it over her ear. "She still ain't picking up... where is that girl...?" she said, as she chewed on the nail of her thumb.

Takumi pulled out his phone and checked for new messages from her. There were none. Instead, he stared forlornly at the list of texts he sent to her with no replies. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up in surprise and saw it was the giant Kuchiyose staring down at him with half lidded eyes. He pointed up with his long arms towards the upstairs window on the far right.

"What is it?" asked Takumi, blinking up at Kuchiyose.

The silent boy stepped out from the porch and onto the driveway. Takumi followed him to get a better look. He saw Namikaze following from the side too, also curious to see what Kuchiyose was pointing to. She still had her phone to her ear and the three of them stood just below the window the Kuchiyose indicated at and staring up.

It was Ayame's window.

He could see the pastel yellow curtains were drawn together, thinking of what cryptic message Kuchiyose was trying to deliver.

' _Uno momento per favore... I can hear something...'_

 _Vorp! Vorp! Vorp!_

"Eh? That's her ringtone! She's actually home? Why isn't she answering the door!" whined Namikaze.

The three of them realised they could actually hear Ayame's unique and weird ringtone, softly flowing out from her bedroom window. She had to be home because she never went anywhere without her phone.

"Ayame! It's me! Takumi, Namikaze-san and Kuchiyose-san!" Takumi hollered up at the window with her hands cupped around his mouth. "Are you alright! We haven't heard from you in a while and are very worried! Will you let us in!" Takumi continued to yell, urgency lacing his voice.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Again. No answer.

"That's it. Kuchiyose-kun. _You know what to do"_ said Namikaze with chilling conviction.

He nodded immediately.

Takumi stumbled sideways as Kuchiyose brushed past him and walked with heavy, long strides back to the porch and crouched until he was eye level the doorknob. He dumped his sports bag by his feet and unbuckled his standard issue Japanese school bag and procured a rolled up piece of cloth.

 _Dio mio,_ he even carried his lock-picking equipment to school!?

Just as expected, Kuchiyose calmly and silently went about his way and started picking the lock. Soon Takumi heard a small series of clicks and Kuchiyose turned the handle and gently pushed it open. Namikaze was the first one in, beating Takumi to it. He stepped in behind them with extreme trepidation. He had never tresspassed anything in his life! This felt severely disrespectful. But he was so worried for Ayame right now, so he pushed those feelings to the back of his mind. Whatever consequences cropped up, he will deal with it later. Once they deposited their shoes at the door, both he and Namikaze bolted up the stairs, as if to race for who would get to Ayame the fastest, whilst Kuchiyose lagged behind.

Takumi and Namikaze huffed and puffed on the landing outside Ayame's door. He will never again underestimate the speed of the little vermin. They both looked up to see Ayame's door was closed.

Namikaze recovered first "Ayame-chan, I know you're in there... _fuck, I'm so unfit_... I'm coming in no—"

 _The door creaked open._

Takumi held his breath, ready to throw her questions all about her physical and mental well being, but it all got stuck into the back of his throat. Through the dark and dismal gap. Ayame stood there like a ghost. She looked _terrible_. Her face was deathly pale, her cheeks were sallow. Her hair was all frazzled and limp looking. Her once bright and vibrant eyes eyes looked incredibly miserable, all bloodshot as if she had been crying for days! Takumi's heart clenched with crushing pain to see his _amore_ like this.

"Ayame! _Bella,_ what's wrong? What happened?" he pushed the door open further and clutched her shoulders in his warm grip. Her head dipped down and her shoulders slumped as if all the energy was zapped from her. Her room smelt really stuffy and was very dark. He tried to rub her shoulders up and down and tried to pull her into him but she remained motionless. She smelt like her salty tears.

"Oh no..." whispered Namikaze. She bent down to the floor and picked something up

"What?"

"This letter..."

While Takumi continued to rub Ayame's back, trying his best to comfort her, Namikaze showed him a crumpled piece of paper and an equally crumpled envelope. Through the dim lighting, he could make out something that said _'Faculty of Engineering: University of Tokyo'_ or something like that as the letter head.

"It says umm... _Dear Kanda Ayame-san..._ yada, yada, yada... _We have finalised the selection process and reviewed your application and design..._ blah, blah, blah... _We regret to inform you that your design for the University of Tokyo Middle-school and High-school Innovation Program did not make the finals. The program received an overwhelming number of applications in a very competitive year. It was a difficult decision considering your experiences..."_ recited Namikaze in a monotone voice.

 _Merda_. Ayame had worked incredible hard on that alarm clock. Takumi had watched her sweat over that project. For a high-schooler to have such skill in building an alarm clock from scratch, complete with programing, designing, soldering, three dimensional printing and the works, he could feel her heart broken to pieces. She had talked non-stop about it to him about the background research she had to do, and the processes and steps she had to take to begin designing and building. He even had to help manage her eating otherwise she would work herself to starvation! This meant so much to her. It was her way of paving her future into the engineering industry. She told him once that engineering was an incredibly male dominated career and he guessed as she was a girl, she needed to work extra hard to get in and _stay in_. But she had chosen to persevere because it was her passion. Suddenly he felt quaking on his chest. Takumi jolted and looked down to see his _amore_ starting to sob and he clutched her tighter, resting his chin on her head and rubbing her back up and down.

" _... We appreciate the time you took to apply and we were excited to receive..._ More bullshit after that" Namikaze promptly tore the letter to shreds and threw it behind her.

"It's alright Ayame. You did very well. We are all very proud of you. There is always next time, right?" Takumi tried to lift her head so that he could look into her eyes, but she wouldn't budge.

"Okay _Dante._ Let me handle this. This is a job for the best-friend" Namikaze placed her hand on Ayame's shoulder.

"What on Earth are you talking about? I'm her boyfriend, not chopped liver" Takumi narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm saying there are things only _boyfriend's_ can do and then there are things only _best friend's_ can do, and right now Ayame's just had a meltdown and needs me. You feel me?" Namikaze was really putting her foot down, but Takumi wasn't appreciating this take-charge thing she had going on.

"Hey, Ayame clearly—"

 _Tap, tap._

Someone was tapping his shoulder again. Takumi turned his head around to see Kuchiyose standing by the door directly behind him, with one hand in his pocket and the other on Takumi's shoulder. He suddenly had an unnerving presence as he stared at him with half-lidded eyes. He didn't even hear him come up the stairs! The lilac-haired boy shook his head and gripped his fingers gently on his shoulder and tugged him. It didn't take a genius to know Kuchiyose agreed that he should leave. Takumi looked down at Ayame with mounting concern. Ayame still seemed like she wasn't reacting to anything while in his arms. She remained limp as a doll. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the stinging in his eyes as he continued to feel the sadness and misery from her. Slowly he felt Namikaze peeling Ayame away from his hold and coaxing her the other way very easily.

Takumi was stunned.

Kuchiyose stepped forward and gently turned Takumi away, slowly pulling him out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Wait—"

 _Kuchiyose shoved him down the stairs._

"Okay! Okay! I'm going!" Takumi angrily stomped down the stairs towards the living room with the now pushy lilac-haired boy hot on his heels. His blood started to boil. Once he was there, he turned to Kuchiyose angrily and jabbed his finger at his expressionless face. He wasn't going to let this go!

"Ayame's upset! and I should be—"

" _Chizuru has known Ayame longer than you have"_

Takumi faltered, stumbling back and knocking the back of his knees against the coffee table. What did he just say? Even after all this time, he was still caught off-guard by the deep sound of the selectively mute boy's voice. What was Kuchiyose trying to say and why was he still looking at him with such a blank and unfeeling face? It pissed him off. However... Kuchiyose never said anything wasteful. He never spoke unless absolutely necessary. Takumi dipped his brows in confusion before screwing them up together. He threw his hands up into the air with an Italian curse and rubbed his head in frustration, and released an aggravated sigh.

 _What was best for Ayame?_

Maybe those two were right. They've been friends for along time and their friendship ran deep. Namikaze would know the best way to calm Ayame down after what looked like a big meltdown. Afterall, this was probably not the first time this sort of thing that happened as Namikaze sounded so confident and sure of herself. But it pained him to see Ayame looking like that and he was right there ready to provide her the warm and encouraging comfort he could give. But she said there were only things boyfriends could do, and that there were things only best friends could do. So was this one of those things? What made him any different? Ayame was his girlfriend and he had a responsibility!

Takumi decided he would be mature about this and not treat Ayame like a tug-of-war rope with that little troll. He dumped himself onto the sofa and Kuchiyose sat next to him calmly, pulling out his phone.

"Why are you the only one not worried?" he asked spitefully.

"..."

' _Figures, nothing gets to him'_

An hour passed and every time Takumi tried to get up and race back upstairs, Kuchiyose would stick his long leg out onto the coffee table and block him. Other times, he would yank him back down with his incredibly strong arm without so much as sound. He was still busy texting someone on his phone too, that cold unfeeling bastard. Takumi continued to stew in his seat. Suddenly the distant sound of an opening and closing door grabbed is attention.

' _Ayame'_

Takumi once again sprung up, catching sight of Ayame's feet as she slowly padded down the stairs with Namikaze's right beside her. Ayame was leaning against her shoulder with a thin cardigan wrapped around her shoulder and this time her hair was braided instead of falling over messily her shoulders. Takumi tracked her with his eyes like a hawk, his heart already jumping into his throat. He wanted to reach out to her and hold her in his arms, but he resisted and clenched them by his side.

' _Give her time'_

She slowly looked up at him. Her eyes were still bloodshot, swollen and sad, but at least some of that green colour he adored returned. Namikaze continued to hold her arms and guided her over to the sofa where Takumi was standing by. She slowly sat down with shaking knees and Takumi joined her immediately, his hands hovered around her, trying to touch her and at the same time, giving her some space. Namikaze plonked herself in the arm chair on the other side.

" _U-Umm. I'm s-sorry T-Takumi-kun..."_ her voice was raspy. "I-I just... Oh I d-don't know, I couldn't get in to the finals again... I didn't... I've worked so hard on it... and I couldn't surpass myself. This isn't the first time too... a-and you did so much f-for me, you cooked for me, made sure I was eating... you visited me and... we sacrificed time with each other so I could concentrate on it and you could focus on your own competition. I'm so s-sorry! I'm such a failure again! I c-couldn't even make your efforts worth it-"

"Shhhhh" Takumi gently tilted her head against his shoulder and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

He knew. He knew she was working extremely hard on this completely voluntary project _on top_ of her normal school work, to prove her worth as a future engineer in the Japanese society. He also knew about the previous competitions of the same program she had entered in since middle school. She had entered in them and he remembered the bitter smile she had on her face when she told him she never made it to the finals in the previous years. She had shown him her previous entries, which were prototypes for technological gadgets that she herself designed and created by her own hands and let him play with them. She showed him her files of designs on her autocad program on her computer as well and he thought they were really cunning and absolutely clever! He didn't know squat about mechanical and _robotica_ engineering, but for a high-schooler, her designs surely deserved to be considered in the finals too! It meant so much to her that she even kept the rejections letters from every year she entered, including the finalist names which apparently was published in the newspapers, tucked away in her drawers of her messy desk.

"Ayame. You have _nothing_ to apologise for. You do this for _yourself, si?_ Don't worry about me, I only do those things because I _want_ to"

" _B-But it all amounted to nothing!_ And I-I've been scared to tell you... to disappoint you... because you really believed in me. You went out of-of your way to take care of m-me and everything, and I stil—"

"This isn't about me"

" _Then why do you look upset too?"_

Takumi widened his eyes in shock. Nothing got passed his Ayame... He sighed.

"I... I'm upset because for the last four days... _you kept it all in_. You stopped replying to my texts and taking my calls. We weren't communicating anymore. I was worried sick that something had happened. Ayame, I want to be there to support you in everything you do. Whether you win or lose, succeed or fail, there is nothing in the world that could make me any less proud. _I will always believe in you._ I know about this competition and I did some internet research on it after you told me. This competition is prestigious and highly competitive. Not to mention _highly conservative_. I noticed that the online list of finalists for the past ten years all had male names.

"Y-You looked it up? The competition?" she brushed away the stray tears slowly rolling down her face.

" _Si._ Because I like to know about your interests and understand the things you do. You had chosen to pursue a field that's dominated by men" said Takumi, staring down at her hands. He reached forward and grasped one of them lightly in his palm and stroke his thumb over her small knuckles.

"The point is, you chose the hard and ambitious path and I find that so admirable. But you aren't all alone in this. You have great friends and family who are around you who are are proud of whatever you do. I want you to know that you lean can on me whenever your are feeling down, sad, anxious or angry. I'm not here just for the happy times, you know that right? And don't worry about being a nuisance or other silly thoughts like that because I want to support you in everything and _I love you"_

He gripped the back of her head again and pressed her to his chest. She clutched his school blazer for dear life and shuddered against him, releasing yet another bout of tears. He listened to her quite sniffles and suddenly they started turning into soft chuckles. He blinked rapidly. He didn't think he said anything funny, but he was glad her sobs were taking a different turn.

"Funny... Chizuru-chan said you w-would say something like this"

"What?" Takumi looked up in Namikaze's direction.

"Idon'tknowwhatshe'stalkingabout" She said quickly and leapt up and walked briskly to the kitchen and occupied herself with opening the fridge.

Takumi refocused his attention on Ayame. "It's alright to be sad, angry and cry when you don't succeed, and I'll be there to dry your tears. When you fall down, you must brush your knees and get right back up. Don't look back and keep moving forward. Success is in front of you, not behind. _Si?_ " said Takumi.

"Yeah…"

Ayame breathed a huge sigh and straightened up. Takumi leaned over again and smoothed her midnight black fringe from her face and pecked her on the forehead. She smiled and his heart bloomed.

"I'm... going to get myself cleaned up now. I must look terribly wasted"

"You are always beautiful in my eyes. Even if you face is covered in hives and blotc–"

Out of the corner of his eyes somewhere behind Ayame, he saw Namikaze step back into the living and threw up her hands into a frantic 'X' shape.

' _Merda!'_

"I-I-I mean, it's not that I wish for you to h-have hives or anything! What… What I m-meant was, you're beautiful no m-matter what! I'm also t-talking about the _inside! Si!_ Not just physical ap-pearance and I—"

He was instantly silenced by Ayame's pair of warm lips.

"I know what you mean, Takumi-kun" she pulled away and smiled serenely. "… and umm… thank you for everything. I promise I won't bottle it all up again. I uh… I'll make sure to count on you when I'm in a dark place or anything" her smile became tentative.

Takumi felt his face flush with no shame. He stared at his fidgeting hands "I uh… I'll make some dinner now…" he scratched the back of his head and twisted this way and that, not knowing which side of the coffee table to go around to make his way to the kitchen.

He peeked from the corner of his eyes, watching closely as Ayame ran upstairs. Once he lost sight of her, he made his way to the kitchen. Namikaze was still standing at the threshold. He glared at her and she stared back just as hard. Deep down he knew that Namikaze was the best person to comfort Ayame _at that moment_ , but she needed to understand that Takumi was in the picture now. He didn't appreciate being chucked out of the bedroom when his girlfriend was in that state. Also not to mention being stopped in his tracks from comforting her when she was most vulnerable. Being Ayame's boyfriend meant that he was going use the best of his abilities to be one of her pillars of support too. Amazingly enough, he was breathing calmly right now, trying his best to reign in his ire. Namikaze and Kuchiyose needed to back off at times. He tried to think of a way to convey this in the most diplomatic way possible. If Ayame was right in that Namikaze was too clever for her own good, then she should have no problems with understanding his words.

"Was that true? That you said those things about me to her?" asked Takumi.

"Ayame-chan thinks the world of you. She was upset for not making into the finals of the competition like _five times in a row_. But she was more upset for disappointing you, and that you'd start thinking differently of her. You're like, I don't know… go to a really good prestigious school, dripping with talent and success, you've got your future all lined up for you and stuff. She was scared she won't be able to measure up to that. Hence she spazzed ot"

Takumi had certainly realised that by now too. She was a smart and hard working girl. But being smart and hard-working did not come without failures. He had been there himself. People often saw the success, but not the blood, sweat and tears that paved that road. The only reason he was skilled in his cuisine today was because he had failed more times than he could count in the past in the family _trattoria_ too. Each failure was branded into him and it make him stronger, it got him to get to where he was. Of course that was silly! His feelings for her was so strong that nothing in the world could sway it.

He suddenly felt guilty for not making that clear in the beginning, not showing enough of his love and care, resulting her having that meltdown. He should have been more vigilant and visited her sooner, rather than wait for four days. Ah! What a terrible boyfriend he was for making her feel this way and doubting his feelings for her! So terrible that Namikaze had to take the reins off him in this relationship bandwagon before he could even do anything! It looked that she did a good job bringing Ayame out of her shell and right back into his arms.

"That over-achieving girl didn't know how you'd react if you found out. I'm like the _last person_ who'd say nice things about you… but I know you ain't some douche bag and you care more for her well-being than superficial stuff like that. So, I just said things I knew you'd say, because that's what she needed to hear"

Takumi nodded shyly. Namikaze held higher regard for him than he thought. He thought she wouldn't be caught dead saying nice things about him.

" _Grazie,_ for what you did for Ayame. She trusts you a lot, so I get it that it was better coming from you first... to give her back her confidence before she could come to me. But I can take care of her now and I don't want anyone to doubt that, even Ayame"

She smirked. "She's all yours, _Dante_ "

He sighed. That went well enough.

"What's for dinner?" she walked past him without so much as a glance.

"Uh! Ah… I'll think of something…" he mumbled "And my name is _Taku_ \- ah, forget it!" he threw his hands in the air.

* * *

This was the most awkward walk Takumi had ever had. He was walking side-by-side with Kuchiyose down Ayame's street on their way to the bus station. The silence was doing bad things to his heart. All four of them had dinner and he whipped up a quick pasta which got Ayame smiling again. Takumi and Kuchiyose couldn't stay for longer and as they needed to get home after dinner. Namikaze volunteered herself for a 'girls sleepover'. Isami was waiting for him too.

"Umm… So I know that all three of you agreed to t-take the half-day off school tomorrow and come and watch the first _shokegeki_ of the Elite Ten tournament with me. I just want you to know you don't have to come if you don't want to. Ayame can be a bit pushy…" said Takumi.

He glanced nervously at the lilac-haired giant, trying to read his expression. During dinner, Takumi had invited Ayame to spectate the Elite Ten competition to give herself a break before resuming her studies again. He thought it'd be good for her. Then he extended the invitation to her friends also as a thank you. Of course Ayame wanted her friends to come. Kuchiyose was dressed in his school uniform but this time, his grey school jacket was un-buttoned showing off a black singlet underneath. His hair was in its usual style, which was a man bun. Kuchiyose always gave off an air of nonchalance and always seemed like no trouble of the world could touch him. But that couldn't be true.

Kuchiyose kept walking as normal.

"There'd be a good chance you'd bump into Alice-san again and I don't want you or her to be uncomfortable or anything…" he went further on. "I mean, it wouldn't be an issue if everything is resolved between you two, right?"

Kuchiyose stopped.

' _Merda, I really put my foot in my mouth this time…'_

Kuchiyose turned around and pointed to an empty bench. He walked off the pavement towards the park bench and Takumi followed him still confused. Once the both of them sat down there was more silence. What's happening?

" _Nothing is resolved"_ he drawled.

Takumi gulped. It was still a sore subject then... but if anyone had learnt anything today, it would be that it was good to talk about one's problems than to bottle it up.

"If it's okay to ask… how did it all start?" said Takumi nervously.

Kuchiyose sighed and continued to stare distantly into the dipping sun. The park lamps were already lit, casting a soft glow around them. Kuchiyose's deep hazel eyes seemed so faded.

He opened his mouth to speak.

* * *

Erina sighed for the umpteenth time. For goodness sakes! Why couldn't her cousin keep up with her paperwork as the president of the Cutting-Edge Cooking RS? This was absolutely preposterous and disgraceful. Alice was supposed to be a Nakiri and be organised and prepared for everything and anything. Nakiris didn't _slack_. The fact that Erina decided to raid Alice's private chambers for those sordid papers was absolutely demeaning. Alice kept spewing things like she didn't receive them, nobody told her, she didn't know anything about it. They were all lame excuses to shirk her duties. Of course Erina understood that she'd been busy with preparations for her _shokugeki_ with Rindou-senpai but that was no reason to be such a lazy person. Erina brushed her golden hair to the side and continued to rummage through Alice's closet. She'd find those missing folders and papers and prove to Alice that they _have_ been given to her. Hiding them and lying about it was something cunning and mischievous that Alice would pull.

"Hmm… not here" Erina grumbled.

She moved onto the bookcase beside Alice's bed. A particular green folder caught her eye.

"Aha, this is the last quarterly RS budget for the Cutting-edge RS. I knew she had it all along"

One success so far, but there a few more documents she had to find. Erina continued to snoop around Alice's room. Where else could overdue paperwork be hiding? Erina got down on her knees and peeked under the bed. She was so glad nobody was here to see her on the floor in such a humiliating position, doing such a humiliating task. She would ask Hisako to do this but she went off on a journey to practice for her own upcoming match. Thus if she had to get everything done herself. Erina felt more irritated than usual. There was something there. She reached her hand in and met the cool surface of cardboard. It was a cardboard box. A document storage box.

' _Bingo'_

Erina carefully shuffled it out of its hiding spot and lifted onto the queen-sized plush bed. It wasn't too heavy. She smirked and lifted the dusty lid off and couldn't wait to find—"

"Huh?"

Erina rubbed her eyes. This was unexpected.

The box was full of photos!

Erina lifted one of them up. What an unorthodox place to store photos. It was of Alice and another boy. A boy with lilac hair and hazel eyes. She was pressing her face against his with pouting lips almost as if about to kiss him on the cheeks. What were these! They both looked into the camera as the shot was being taken. Erina dropped it back into the box and shuffled her hands through them. There were more of Alice and that boy. These pictures were taken at lots of places with just the two of them like parks, the street, Karakura honcho, the zoo, the aquarium, soccer-field, out in the wilderness, the seaside, restaurants, amusement parks and even cafes. They looked pretty recent too, her hairstyle looked the same. The boy was pretty good-looking and very tall much to Erina's chagrin. Alice and he looked like they matched really well together.

Alice looked so happy there. So at peace.

She realised that this was Alice's ex-boyfriend.

"Erina?"

"HA! I wasn't doing anything!" Erina jumped up and swung around. In her fright, she knocked the box onto the floor, spilling out all the photos. She looked up into the shocked eyes of her cousin Alice.

"What are you doing in my—" she stopped dead as some photos slid right to her feet. She bent down and picked them up, barely glancing at them while her facial expression was set into stone.

"It's n-not what it looks like. I was l-looking for all your o-overdue RS documents" stuttered Erina. This was so scandalous, to be caught red-handed. There was a special place in hell for people who did those things!

"… Right" Alice wordlessly picked up the box and threw all the photos back in. Her voice was icy cold.

"I-Is that, who I think it is?" asked Erina.

Alice plopped onto the bed with an exaggerated groan "Yep. Just my ex-boyfriend" she said nonchalantly and flicked the dust off her shoulders.

"I remember you telling me to swear not to tell anyone" said Erina. She never actually met the guy, Alice just vaguely talked about him from time to time. She looked over to her cousin was caught off-guard by the sorrow swimming in her eyes. Uh oh. Erina wanted nothing more than to jet out of the room and back into the safety of her office and just forget the whole thing. Her grandfather's pearls of wisdom started fogging up her brain. He had said that she needed to learn how to empathise with other people when he came back from his business abroad. She really wished she didn't have to. It was so much easier to disregard people's feelings. After all, she had trouble understanding her _own_ as it was.

"So uh… do you… do you want t-to talk about it?" she shuffled uncomfortably on the bed. She internally begged for Alice to say no.

"Oh what's this? Nakiri Erina coming down from her ivory tower and offering a bit of compassion? My, that's certainly new!" Alice smirked at her chittering form behind her perfectly manicured hand.

Erina blew up "FINE! I don't want to know anything. I-I don't care! Who wants to know?! N-Not me! I-It's your choice anyway!" She got up and stomped her way to the door.

"Relax, Erina. I was joking. But yeah, I will tell you about him. It's about time I properly 'fessed up anyway…" she chuckled mirthlessly before resuming her more subdued self. Erina paused and regarded her cousin, staring down from her nose. She sighed exasperatedly and returned to her spot beside her. She waited for Alice's response.

"It all started in middle school. I wanted Ryou-kun to take me to Karakura honcho and explore because it was our second time back to Japan after _Danmark_ and we haven't gone shopping there yet. Anyway Ryou and I got separated as it was pretty crowded and I found myself in a pretty shady looking part of Karakura town's parking lot" said Alice.

Erina could never imagine herself going down-town, but she reserved her judgement this time.

"Well, I bumped into some of the ugly local middle school ruffians. There were about five or six of them loitering there. They were inevitably charmed by my cute looks. They wanted to sexually harass me of course. Things weren't looking good until one of them grabbed me and I screamed bloody murder and scratched his face!"

Erina was horrified! Those primates!

"That's when out of nowhere a soccer came flying and knocked him in the side of the head. He was out cold on the ground! Well, that was Kuchiyose Byakko. He coincidentally came upon us and saw that I was trouble. They all started to attack him. He fought most of them off because of his height advantage. Oh! He plays soccer by the way!" said Alice.

Erina was a bit confused as to why Alice was treating this as a happy story when it was obvious it had an unhappy ending, but she continued to listen.

"Then he grabbed my hand and we ran for it. He runs pretty fast too. We rounded a corner and hid behind a smelly old bin until those dumb buffoons passed us. Yeah that was our first meeting! I still remembered his first words to me he called me a-"

* * *

"— _stupid girl"_

Takumi choked on his saliva.

"S-Stupid? You called A-Alice-san stupid?" stuttered Takumi.

Kuchiyose nodded like it was totally fine to call someone he met for the first time stupid. He went out of his way to save Alice from a horrible demise and insulted her straight after, which Takumi didn't think was right. He should be asking if she was okay or if she was hurt. Maybe it was a good thing that Kuchiyose didn't speak much because he had a razor sharp tongue.

So according to what Kuchiyose said, the back of the parking lot was where he normally traveled between soccer practice and his home, the tofu shop. It was a lucky thing that he came upon Alice that he did. He was on his usual walk home from soccer practice. Every now and again he would see some delinquents hanging around there.

"A-and what happened after that?" Takumi settled back onto the park bench.

"I took her back to the main area. There she found her companion Kurokiba. I could tell she was from a rich and wealthy family, given that she didn't know a single street in Karakura town. Then I went home. I thought I dusted my hands off of her when the next day she was at the same spot. _That stupid girl…_ "

Takumi cringed at the annoyance lacing his voice.

"She was a persistent one. Saying that she wanted to show me gratitude and gave me some food she made. It's not really gratitude to return to the place she was attacked and hoped for the best that I would turn up. If I didn't and those fucktards returned, then she would be fucked. Literally" said Kuchiyose.

Takumi shuddered at the thought. But it was incredibly brave, and agreed _stupid,_ of Alice to go back after such an ordeal.

"She wouldn't leave me alone. It became a routine that we'd meet there and she decided to join my walks back to Karakura honchou. Eventually we started hanging out after school. She didn't bring her companion anymore because she wanted to go alone. She told me a bit about herself and I did the same. I guess things developed from there"

Takumi thought this story couldn't be delivered in a more blasé and monotonous way.

" _She was… really something_. She was different from the other girls I've met. She was bright for her age. She had goals and dreams and was very ambitious. She wasn't bad-looking either. Anyway, we—"

* * *

"—ended up dating" said Alice.

Erina nodded.

"He was just _amazing_. He tall, handsome and athletic. He wasn't so much book-smart, more like street-smart. He took me to lots of places both awesome and really dank. I even went to all his soccer games and cheered for him. You know, he really showed me the world beyond the Nakiri _fortress_. Byakko's family wasn't exactly poor, but they did struggle financially at times. His family owns a little tofu shop and he has two older brothers and an older sister. It really opened my eyes to the people and the community. I've never had a customer who paid less than three-hundred thousand yen for a three-course meal, and his family just gives away free tofu they didn't sell at the end of the day to the homeless! How crazy is our world Erina!"

How crazy indeed. Giving away food out of pure generosity was unheard of for Erina. If she cooked something for someone out of her free time and at no monetary cost, it was to prove how much better she was than everyone else. To intimidate and assert her own superiority. If Alice's ex-boyfriend's family was struggling, why did they give out perfectly good tofu? They could've kept it to sell the next day! Alice grabbed a handful of the photos fanned them out onto the bed, showing all their little date spots. There was a particular one with her dangling off of her ex-boyfriend's neck in front of his family tofu shop. Erina noticed she and he was smiling. _A real smile_.

"Here look at this one. We went on a hiking trip. Just the two of us. I can't tell you how many times I fell over and got cuts and bruises. But Byakko told me to get up because it wasn't like I died or anything. He made me realise that I've lived an incredibly sheltered life. He was… good for me" said Alice.

She fell back onto the bed and spread out her arms.

"Things escalated from there. I invited him over to the manor to hangout, but I made him go through the back entrance and climb up my balcony so that no-one except me and Ryou would know. _Gud forbyde_ the rest of the Nakiri family found out about us. At the end of the day, he would leave the same way he came in, completely unnoticed. Whenever we held hands it was warm. Whenever he touched my face it was electrifying. And when Byakko kissed me…" Alice closed her eyes and nibbled her bottom lip.

Erina had no idea what was going on.

"Hell Erina, we even went to home-base"

" _H-HOME B-BASE!? That f-far?!"_ She slammed her hands onto the sheets. Alice and that. That. That. That. BOY, had coitus!? It was unbelievable! She heard the term before, she had read enough _shoujou_ manga to understand the connotations of that sports metaphor.

"Yeah… But not to worry, it was at his place, not here" she chuckled "We continued our relationship all the way into our first year high school. _Fader_ and _Moder,_ didn't know anything about it. Only you and Ryou-kun did" said Alice.

"Th-Then what h-happened?" asked Erina, completely flustered.

Alice's face fell. "Then _Fader_ all the way in _Danmark_ found out"

* * *

" _Something happened"_ said Kuchiyose.

This was the part Takumi was almost dreading to hear. It was how the relationship ended.

"It was around Christmas. I got a call from her saying something really weird. It was unlike her at all. _She told me she wanted to break up_ "

"Just like that?" said Takumi.

" _Like all that time had been nothing"_

* * *

"I… got summoned into _Ojii-sama's_ office when _Ojii-sama_ wasn't there. My _Fader_ was already there. I mean, he was there on the laptop screen because it was actually a video call from _Danmark_. He had sent one of his associates or something to set it up. Well, he found out about Byakko and I. I don't know how, he didn't tell me. He ordered me to end it completely. He had done some background checks on Byakko and his family too. He said that the Nakiri name didn't need to be mixed in with… _someone who came from a poor and uneducated family…"_

Erina watched as Alice fisted her hands against the sheets and her body trembled.

"I fought and argued, screamed and c-cried. I begged my _Fader_ to let me choose the person I want to be with as I pleased, because I had a right to. Byakko wasn't rich, doesn't have a fancy car, pedigree name, or a prestigious up-bringing! But he was a _decent_ person and that was all that mattered to me… He and I didn't care about all this social class _elitism_ that came with our name. _He loved me as I loved him_ " Alice unleashed her tears and fully wept. She covered her eyes with the back of her hands, rivers of tears cascading down her ivory cheeks and dripping shamelessly on her clothes.

Her sadness and anguish was almost tangible to Erina. She did nothing but watch Alice weep. For the first time, Erina wouldn't judge her for it.

"And then…" she sniffed and tried to recompose herself "I threatened… that I would _leave_ the family to be with Byakko and start up my own gourmet kingdom. My _Fader_ already had other plans up his sleeve. He introduced me to the man who had set up the video call. The one that was standing right there. He was smiling the whole time, really creepy looking you know? I still remember the exact words my _Fader_ said to me..."

* * *

"She said she didn't love me the same way she thought she did. She was just looking for a fling. That our worlds were too different and she had realised it only now. She had enough and wanted to end it and return to reality, to return to the world meant for her. She said she deserved better. She didn't want to spend her life with a _poor and uneducated guy"_ said Kuchiyose.

Takumi was sure the ground would melt under Kuchiyose's acidic gaze.

* * *

"... He said _'If you don't end this foolish, silly infatuation right now. This man right here will break both his legs and he will never have a career in his beloved soccer again"_

Erina's stomach dropped and churned.

"My _Fader_ didn't make it to his position by being the nice guy. I could tell he was committed to his threat. That vile man who was my father's associate gave me the phone and told me to call Byakko up do it in front of my _Fader_ to see. And I did what had to be done. For the sake of Byakko, I said awful things with all my strength. I couldn't bare if _anything_ were to happen to him because of me. I wanted to make sure that Byakko will hate me forever, so that he could be spared"

Alice choked out another sob.

* * *

"I reckoned she was spewing total bullshit. But I had to see her anyway, to hear it from her lips and see it in her eyes that she meant every word. I broke into the property and I made it just under her balcony, but the fucking secret service was already onto me. She was right there, at the bedroom window but she turned away..."

* * *

"...When I saw him outside, he was calling my name so loudly like his life depended on it. I've never seen him looked so angry and so _hurt_. He had been beaten and bruised, sent to hospital after a few soccer games, but he always smiled and said he barely felt it. But when I saw him, _the pain was real._ I was unbearably happy that he still came for me. Selfish, I know. I don't deserve to still be chased after, after I broke Byakko's heart. Then security dragged him away like a he was a feral beast… it took six men. _Six!_ To haul him off the grounds… _åh gud_ Erina... I refused to look back"

Alice closed her eyes again.

"If... um—" began Erina.

"I don't regret what I did, Erina. Not one bit. It was the best for both of us. It was best for _Byakko_ "

* * *

"Surely that can't be the whole truth!" Takumi stood up in front of Kuchiyose.

" _What's done is done"_ said the lilac-haired giant with such finality.

"But obviously you and Alice were deeply in love. I think there was some sort of foul play! I mean, _the way she looked at you when she saw you again._ She still loves you. You two could have banded together and-"

"Alice and I come from two different social classes. Don't forget that you and Ayame come from two different worlds too. Literally. When you graduate from Tootsuki, you'll be going back to Italy right? Your parents want you to take over the family business and it's always been your dream right? Ayame needs to continue to study and go to university for mechanical and mechatronics engineering and follow her dreams in becoming an engineer. She won't find that in Italy. She has to stay in Japan to make her dreams come true. You two will be separated by half a world apart in a one year's time. _How far do you see your relationship going?"_

Takumi faltered. What?

"Alice and I live in the _same fucking town_ and we couldn't be together because of something as simple as _class_. _Think very carefully_ about what you and Ayame are going to do when it's your time to return to Italy, your world" said Kuchiyose.

* * *

 **Wow Kuchiyose... Switching the conversation from his past to Takumi's and Ayame's business was a dick move :/ But anyway, I decided to experiment with parallel story-telling so that both Kuchiyose and Alice get a chance to tell their story. That's about as talkative he's going to get.**

 **Oh Ayame, we've all been there, crying and feeling down because we failed at something. At least she has such good friends and a supportive boyfriend. Takumi seems to have pretty traditional and straight-cut views about relationships huh? Chizuru and Takumi is still having a tug-of-war over Ayame haha!**

 **Thanks again for reading and I hope you liked the longer chapter. Megumi's and Hayama's theme will be** _ **High Tea. Oolala!**_ **Let me know what you think of this chapter, and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	26. Reshuffle: Akira vs Megumi part 1

_Chapter 26 - Elite Ten Reshuffle Competition: Akira vs. Megumi part 1_

* * *

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Ayame stepped on her proverbial accelerator as she raced through the courtyard of Tootsuki with her two friends trailing behind.

The three of them were attracting a lot of attention especially that they were wearing their grey Karakura High school uniform. They were sporting the red trimmed, grey blazers, big red bow tie and grey skirts while Kuchiyose-kun was in grey dress pants. Meanwhile Tootsuki student uniforms screamed preparatory school with their navy blue blazers with white-trimmed pockets and lapels. Navy blue dress pants for boys, and plaid skirts and striated bow ties for girls. Ayame ignored all the curious stares as she followed the congregated mass into the _shokugeki_ hall. Well, she assumed that was where they were all headed and she constantly referred to the Takumi's hand-drawn map on her piece of paper.

She was very excited to be invited back to Tootsuki again. Posters and banners advertising the event were everywhere and definitely made is look like a festival. Takumi-kun was unable to get the Tootsuki passes for her to enter Tootsuki in time, but he assured her that he had asked one of his _senpais_ by the name of Isshiki Satoshi and that _senpai_ was more than happy to welcome their little brood to spectate. Ayame had never felt so relieved in her life after Takumi-kun came to visit yesterday. After that little debacle she'd realise how silly she was being. His comforting and protective arms around her, those warm and encouraging words filled with love made all her demons turn tail. She was truly a lucky girl, to the point that she felt quite embarrassed about doubting him. Ayame did a little first pump on the inside. She was determined to show Takumi-kun that she was strong and doing alright again. Like he said, _'no more tears'_ and pick herself up and try again. The last thing she wanted was for him to needlessly fuss over her when he had other things to worry about like his own competition.

Ayame, Chizuru-chan and Kuchiyose-kun bottle-necked at the doors with the other students.

" _What are outsiders doing here?"_

" _How did they know about the Elite Ten competition? I thought it's only for our school!"_

 _"How can Tootsuki allow a people from a delinquent school to come?"_

Ayame mentally sighed. Karakura high school did seem to attract a lot of applications from delinquents, but she was surprised that Tootsuki knew about this since they sort of lived in their own little untainted world. Ayame didn't worry about the dubious and curious looks she was getting, only Kuchiyose-kun seemed to be bothered by it and Chizuru-chan probably welcomed it with open arms. She was wondering if those behind-the-back comments deserved an explanation, but thought not today. She and her friends needed to find that viewing room the Elite Ten and the other competitors were allowed to stay in because that's where Takumi said he would be.

"Guys, I think we take these stairs" said Ayame pointing to the closest railing. Her two friends followed suit. They reached up halfway up the stairs when suddenly were stopped in their tracks.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here, if I may ask?"

Ayame looked up to meet the eyes of a rosette haired girl. She had chin had a chin length bob-cut and a full heart-shaped face. She was a very pretty girl with deep and dark magenta eyes. She raised an eyebrow and her lips were pursed together. Her uniform was immaculate, but unlike the other female Tootsuki students, she wore a neck-tie instead of the bow-tie. She had the air about her like a guard-dog, sensing that something was out of place. Ayame felt weirded out under her scrutinising stare, like she was being visually stripped. This girl was all business and no-nonsense, she could tell.

"Hi, my name is Kanda Ayame and these are my friends" Ayame bowed politely and gestured behind her to her two friends. "We're here by Takumi Aldini's invitation"

"Oh right. Do you guys have Tootsuki passes?" she asked, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Well no. You see Takumi-kun is my—"

"I'm sorry but if you don't have passes then I'm afraid you shouldn't be on the premises" she said before Ayame could finish her sentence, which took her by surprise. Her tone sounded very final and she crossed her arms over her chest, levelling her with a cool stare. The girl sighed and grimaced before her expression became stern again.

Ayame cleared her throat "I understand that but Takumi-kun said—"

"Look I know Aldini-san is very nice to you girls, but he's nice to _everyone_. Do you understand? I've seen a lot of young female school students try to—"

"Ah! Kanda-san is that you?"

A cheerful voice called out from behind the rosette haired girl. Ayame leaned to the side to catch a glimpse of whoever said that and found her gaze falling on a rather charming looking boy. He had short auburn hair that was gently touseled. He smiled brightly, with his eyes crinkling in mirth and had dimples from his wide grin. He had a good jawline which made him look more mature than a student. Like everyone else, his uniform was pristine. He stepped down towards them and extended a bow to Ayame and she reflexively bowed back. He had a very calm and benevolent aura around him, which was very different from the rest of the Tootsuki students. Once he opened his eyes, Ayame was stunned by his deep ocean blue irises. They were very sharp, almost piercing.

"Yep, that's me" said Ayame. Was he familiar?

"My name is Isshiki Satoshi and welcome to Tootsuki's _Shokugeki Hall._ I see you've met Hisako-san _"_

"Eh? You know her Isshiki-senpai?" The girl named Hisako twisted around abruptly.

"Of course! I believe you are the young lady I've given Tootsuki passes to during the holidays by Aldini-kun's request, no?" he tilted his head to the side.

"Oh it was you who gave them to Takumi-kun? Thank you so much, Isshiki-san! My friends and I really enjoyed our tour around Tootsuki during the summer holidays" said Ayame she gestured to her friends standing patiently behind her "These are my friends, Namikaze Chizuru and Kuchiyose Byakko"

"Yo"

"…"

"It's a pleasure" said Isshiki-san, bowing again.

"Umm… What's going on?" said Hisako. She flicked her head back and forth, trying to make sense of the conversation taking place.

"This is Aldini-kun's girlfriend. He's asked if they could come to watch the match today and unfortunately, I wasn't able to get him the passes promptly this time around. But I assured him that as long as they use my name, everything should be sorted" said Isshiki-san.

"Oh! A-apologies on my part. I didn't realise that you were Aldini-kun's girlfriend. I couldn't be too careful, especially with Tootsuki girls who regularly uses Takumi Aldini's name for their own agendas" said Hisako. She looked a bit sheepish by her mistake but Ayame could tell she was trying to hide is behind a mask of nonchalance.

"That's okay Hisako-san" said Ayame. "As you can see, we're not Tootsuki students. So if you had let me finish explaining myself before jumping to conclusions, then we would've saved each other a bit of heartache" she said, making sure to continue to smile.

Ayame had always believed herself to be a fair person. As a consequence she often found herself expecting the same thing from others. It often created quite a dilemma because she learnt too late that she couldn't expect everyone to behave the same way and have the same mannerisms as she did. Oh how she struggled connecting with people in middle school. She mentally sighed. Well… she still needed work in that kind of area. Good thing she had Chizuru-chan's brash nature to disintegrate all those expectations into dust. With this girl in front of her, she wondered if she sounded a bit too harsh telling her that straight up. She didn't think Hisako-san was being unreasonable. It seemed logical that since Takumi-kun was a gorgeous guy and highly rated in the school, he probably did have a lot of girls after him… Ayame tried not to think about that… and they possible in the past have used his name to get what they wanted. Hisako-san probably made that assumption. Ayame was just a bit peeved that she didn't get a chance to explain herself.

Hisako-san shifted uncomfortably on the spot and her face was getting a bit flushed. Perhaps this girl wasn't used to being off the mark with her assumptions. Or maybe she was used to being in control of the situation because she seemed so self-assured and comfortable with cutting people off in the middle of a sentence without concerns for politeness. But at least she apologised and that was all it took for Ayame to leave all that behind her.

"Please come this way, Aldini-kun is up in the primary viewing box with the other contestants" said Isshiki-san. He stepped aside for Ayame and her friends to pass and they both followed in the direction he was pointing to.

Ayame's excitement was bubbling in the pits of her belly. This was so exciting! An official tournament match! Once the three of them got there, she hesitantly peeked her head around the corner, nervous about meeting more of Takumi-kun's classmate. She could a few unfamiliar faces and also familiar ones like Yukihira-san, Kurokiba-san and Alice-san. Finally her eyes landed on Takumi-kun with Isami-kun. Ayame nibbled her bottom lip, not knowing if it was alright just to 'rock up'.

"AYA!"

Chizuru-chan pushed her roughly into the room.

Suddenly everyone stopped conversing and spun around directly towards her. Takumi-kun's eyes instantly connected with hers and her insides melted when he smiled and his eyes lit up like gleaming turquoise.

"Ayame!" Takumi-kun called out. He briskly made his way to him and gave her a hug and a peck on the cheeks which Ayame gladly took.

"How about one for me?" smirked Chizuru-chan.

"When you grow taller than a tomato plant" Takumi-kun rolled his eyes.

"Ah! Ayame-chan, Namikaze-chan, Kuchiyose-kun, how are you guys?" Isami-kun followed closely behind his brother. He gave Ayame a hug also and hugged Chizuru-chan which caught her by surprise. Then he gave Kuchiyose-kun a handshake.

"Hey, you made it! Takumi said you folks would turn up. I can't believe you guys left your school in the middle of the day" said Yukihira-san. He came over to greet them. He gave Kuchiyose-kun a hand shake and nodded to Chizuru-chan.

"Let me introduce you to everyone else" said Takumi-kun. "This is urgh…Mimasaka Subaru…" he groaned.

It was obviously Takumi-kun didn't expect to be his worst enemy to be standing so close to him. That guy was almost as silent as _Otou-san_ and Kuchiyose-kun _._ Ayame had never actually seen the guy, but he looked just like she had imagined based on Takumi-kun's description. Those descriptions weren't flattering either. He had stepped forward right beside Takumi-kun, probably trying to take the Mickey out of Takumi-kun and snatch the honour of being the first person to be introduced. He was an enormous boy with large muscles. He had a wide torso and heavy set jaw with thick, full lips. He was significantly tanned, as if he lived in Okinawa all his life. His hair was styled in hip-hop looking African braids which reached his shoulders. He had a grotesque smile, almost perverse and Ayame wanted to gag. She felt he was staring at her too much. So this was the guy who'd tried to spy on her family house _four times…_

"Nice to actually see you Mimasaka-san. Were you able to fix your camera and listening device in the end?" Ayame painted on an angelic smile, hiding her gnashing teeth.

"Heh, actually you owe me for that" he sneered at her.

" _You make me laugh"_ she said back innocently, her voice masking the impudence in her words.

"Anyway, this is Nakiri Erina" continued Takumi-kun before Ayame could chew out this Mimasaka guy. He placed his hands on her shoulder and swivelled her in the other direction.

Ayame was suddenly facing an elegant looking girl. She had long golden hair reaching her waist and her eyes were an exquisite violet shade. Her bangs framed her porcelain white face perfectly. If Ayame didn't know any better, she looked like she could be born in an aristocratic family, just from looking at her body language. Nakiri Erina held herself with such grace and poise. It bordered upon intimidation. The way she had one arm crossed over her stomach and the other resting its elbow on her forearm as she lightly grasped her chin made certain that she had the upper-hand in this obvious power imbalance. Ayame thought it was the trick of the light, but she seemed to be concentrating on looking at Kuchiyose-kun before she gave Ayame a quiet 'up and down' survey with her eyes as if assessing her in every detail. She didn't smile. She seemed to be looking at her from down her nose and Ayame instantly felt a bit jittery.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kanda Ayame and these are my friends Namikaze Chizuru and Kuchiyose Byakko" Ayame and her friends bowed also.

It took a while before Nakiri Erina responded and when she did she gave a bit of a haughty nod and a smirk. The girl named Hisako walked straight past Ayame and stood behind the beautifully elegant girl like she belonged in that position. So she _was_ some sort of guard dog! Ayame thought it was quite amusing.

"Hmph. I can see why Aldini-kun would choose you. You seem like a sensible girl" she said. Her voice was silky and her accent was definitely upper-class.

"Uh… Thanks?" Ayame genuinely didn't know how to respond to such a compliment. She wasn't aware she exuded an aura of 'sensibility'.

"This is Arato Hisako, Nakiri Erina's assistant" continued Takumi-kun.

"Oh yes, we've met coming up the stairs" said Ayame. Hisako-san turned her head away slightly and was still blushing.

"Hey, hey! Do you want to know something really cool about Nakiri?" Yukihira-san suddenly popped up from beside Ayame giving her a bit of a fright and making Takumi-kun scowl at him. He was sporting an impish grin. Now that Ayame got a chance to see Yukihira-san in the school environment, his clothes were slightly rumpled and had a long white sash around his right wrist, giving Ayame the impression that he was a very individualised person whose priorities definitely didn't lie in the dress code. She heard Takumi-kun sigh on her other side.

"Sure. I'm always looking for interesting facts" replied Ayame cheerfully.

"Listen here Yukihira! My ability isn't something to be shown off like a novelty" said Nakiri Erina as she scolded him.

"Oh come on! Kanda-san, Namikaze-san and Kuchiyose-san probably had never seen anything like it" Yukihira-san rolled his eyes. "Besides, I bet you're dying to tell them anyway"

Ayame didn't think that Nakiri Erina's face could be any more red, or her temporal vein could pulse any more erratically, or her right eye could twitch in annoyance any more sporadically. So much for her poise and elegance earlier. Her shoulders instantly shook and her fists clenched tightly with unbridled fury for Yukihira-san. Despite her cool and cold disposition she portrayed to Ayame, she looked like she could get worked up _very_ easily, even from just a bit of teasing.

"Nakiri has an ability called the _God's Tongue_." He said excitedly without any regard for the classmate he was jesting with.

"God's Tongue? What is that?" asked Ayame.

Erina Nakiri cleared her throat after she recomposed her elegant self "Basically my tastebuds are so sensitive, I can taste food with extreme accuracy. I was born with this ability" She certainly sounded very proud of herself.

"I can make at least fifty distinctions or comparisons between two of the same dishes, I can tell exactly how long something's been cooked, undercooked or overcooked down to each second, I can tell which region of Japan each ingredient comes from whilst blindfolded, I can tell exactly how cold or hot something down is down to each degree Celsius, I can detect every single mistake made to a dish no matter how subtle they are and generate perfect solutions for them. I can tell all this only from _one_ sip or _one_ mouthful" finished Nakiri Erina.

Ayame was baffled beyond belief. Such an extraordinary ability! And she thought Takumi-kun was gifted. _That_ certainly deserved the name of _God's Tongue._ The dishes she made must be no less than divine and tasted like perfection itself. Ayame's mouth watered purely from thinking about this ability. She concluded that Nakiri Erina must be one of those 'supertasters', whose tongue were born with more than the average number of tastebuds or something like that.

 _"Amazing._ You're so lucky to be able to appreciate every aspect of a dish, whereas the rest of us non-foodies probably only taste the surface compared to you" she said in awe.

Nakiri Erina continued to smirk.

"Nakiri-san often takes on taste-testing jobs even from the best chefs in Japan and gives advices on how to improve it" contributed Isami-kun.

"She's like the complete opposite of you Namikaze-san!" said Yukihira-san.

Chizuru-chan was gesturing the 'cutting throat' signal to him but Yukihira-san took no notice of it at all.

"Why do you say that, Yukihira?" scoffed Nakiri Erina.

"Long story, you don't want to know" replied Chizuru-chan curtly but Yukihira jumped straight in.

"It's nothing for you to be ashamed of, Namikaze-san" Yukihira-san patted Chizuru-chan on the back and she brushed his hand away. Normally Chizuru-chan was extremely fickle with who was allowed to physically touch her.

"It's not _that_ …"

Suddenly something didn't feel right to Ayame. She realised that Kuchiyose-kun was no longer standing with them. She peered around searching for him and he wasn't hard to miss. She spotted him standing on the other side of the room with Alice-san, flanked by Kurokiba-san. There was a massive space between them, like no-man's land, but they were talking to each other in hushed voices. She couldn't tell what the topic was though. She felt her boyfriend touch her arm, looking at her inquisitively. Ayame and he were quite in tuned with each other.

"It's Kuchiyose-kun and Alice-san. Do you think they're alright?"

"I don't know. I believe they still have a few things to sort out" Takumi whispered into her ear. She turned to look at him. What did he mean by that? "I spoke to Kuchiyose-kun yesterday about Alice-san being here in case if he had any issues but he was okay with it. Then he told me the story on how they met and how they broke up so that I could understand their situation. I think it's a good idea if they… you know… talked"

"Oh okay. So, how did it _really_ happen?" asked Ayame. Kuchiyose-kun had been her friend for quite a while but his past was still a mystery to her and she didn't pressure him when it came to that.

"It's not really my place to say…" said Takumi-kun.

Was he blushing? Ayame narrowed her eyes suspiciously. So Kuchiyose-kun trusted and confided in Takumi-kun his past relationship and now he was probably bounded by some 'bro-code' to not break that confidence. Good to know that Kuchiyose-kun was speaking to Takumi-kun as least. Ayame turned back to the once-upon-a-time couple, trying to decipher what was going on. Alice-san was mostly staring straight forward, not making eye contact with him whilst Kuchiyose-kun was doing the same. Kurokiba-san looked… the same as when she first met him. Other than that, it didn't seem hostile.

"Everyone! The match is about to start" Isshiki-san appeared in the doorway and clapped his hands. Everyone stopped what they were doing and started to congregate towards the large floor-to-ceiling window.

Ayame stood beside Takumi-kun and pressed her hands against the glass. It was a tremendous view. She could see the whole stadium. There were two cooking stations, facing each other in the middle of the roped off square platform. The audience seats were surrounding it on all sides in different levels like bleachers, and were packed like sardines full of students. It was a massive turnout. This was probably the whole school. Right at the front was a panel of seats, which Takumi-kun explained were for judges. Three in total. In front of the panel was an electronic board with the number '0'. This was probably where the judges revealed their scores for each dish. The stadium lights were really strong and bright, lighting up every nook and cranny of the _shokugeki_ hall so that not a single thing will be missed. Ayame's eyes trailed further and spotted another large electronic scoring board. Probably to display the total scores and the name of the winner. Ayame was getting pumped up!

"So who is competing again?" asked Ayame.

"Tadokoro-san and Hayama-san. Their theme today is _**High Tea**_ "

"Oh wow!" Ayame squealed excitedly.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, attention please. We apologise for the long wait. But now we will begin the first match of Round one for the Elite Ten Seats Reshuffle competition! Let us introduce our exclusive guest judges for the round"_

"I wonder who it will be this time" said Isami-kun.

"Do you often get famous guests from outside of Tootsuki to judge?" asked Ayame.

" _Si!_ We get well known gourmet food critics, CEO of food companies, school alumni and famous chefs. Even our own school director, Nakiri Senzaemon" replied Isami-kun.

A competition _AND_ celebrities?! Ayame could just burst. The emcee announcement continued.

" _Our first judge comes from one of Japan's noble family loyal to the imperial court and they've established world-wide international fame for senbei through their rapid success and expansion for one of Japan's oldest food companies. Their senbei and okashi business stretch back to the 1800s Edo period in Iga province, starting from a secret family recipe and now stand as a booming transnational food corporation, building a revenue of trillions of yen solely based on senbei exports and they are unrivalled by other snack-food companies. Their contribution to ancient and modern Japanese commercial food culture far surpasses any like we see today and they continue to flourish and carry Japan's name to more than one hundred and seventy countries and will continue to establish themselves across the globe"_

" _Our second judge is a determined, ambitious self-made man born with nothing. Through sheer willpower and passion is one of Japan's leading food marketer-turned- CEO to Japan's biggest instant Ramen food company. He currently holds the greatest record for donating money and supplies to charities and direct emergency services in times of crisis such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. With undying gratitude to the popular instant-food which saved his life from starvation many times over during his orphan years, this great man with a golden heart had worked his way up through the lowest of the lowest in his dream company all the way to the top gaining respect from everyone around him, with only a qualification from high school and his business survival skills!"_

" _Our third and final judge of the day is a world-leading specialist in Chinese herbal medicine. With both a practicing degree in surgery and outstanding qualifications in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, she was able to utilise her hands-on clinical practice to all of Japan's research in incorporating Eastern medicine with Western medicine and naturotherapy with amazing breakthroughs. She currently holds tenure as a teaching professor for the honours class in Tokyo University in Chinese Medicine and holds the chairperson on the board of Nippon Tōyō Igakkai, otherwise known as the 'Japan Society for Oriental Medicine' for six years running. She's also co-authored the revised edition of 'The Actual Practice of Kampō Medicine' still used by practicing herbalists today"_

Ayame's heart was beating fast.

" _Please give a warm welcome for our guest judges. CEO of Igakono Senbei Corp. Uchiha Sasuke, CEO of TopRamen Limited, Uzumaki Naruto and tenure professor of Toudai, Dr. Haruno Sakura!"_

* * *

Megumi quaked in her shoes. If she thought that the Orie twins from the famous Haubi Food Corporations were a big deal, then she couldn't begin to comprehend the magnitude of the names blaring from the emcee. The Orie sisters were the owners and models on the 'Princess Curry' packaging, but their credentials fall away like wet cake compared to the Goliaths of the commercial food world, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, and the intelligence and highly respected presence of Dr Haruno Sakura.

The first man to appear behind the screen and take his seat promptly was the CEO of Igakono Senbei Corps. He had dark raven black hair with an indigo blue tint. It spiked lightly towards the back of his neck and his fringe covered most of his face, especially the left eye. He was an incredibly handsome man. He had a strong jawline and beautifully pale skin. His eyes were dark, filled with raw power fit for someone of his position and nobility as one of Japan's oldest clan, The Uchiha Clan, which had served the Imperial court for generations. Rumour told that they were once covert mercenaries and spies, or _shinobi_ from the _Iga_ province during the _Sengoku_ period. However soon after the _Meiji Restoration,_ they faded into obscurity and became stories. Megumi's favourite stories. Nowadays she was sure they continue to protect Japan and the Imperial family through economic and business means. He donned on a black-on-black-on-black designer suit. It was completely blacklike shadowand was pristine, really accentuating his class as an elite. He instantly established an air of superiority and intimidation, so striking that Megumi felt she needed to clasp her hands together tighter lest she buckle at the knees. His thin lips were set in a tight line as he surveyed the applauding crowd with his coal black, piercing eyes, exuding pure arrogance as he did so, before closing them and crossing his arms across his chest.

The second man flounced in like a burst of bright yellow and orange sunshine. It such a massive difference between the two CEOs! He was all smiles and waving his arms up and down as if he was really enjoying himself and glad to be here. He had short spiky blonde hair and gentle and kind cerulean blue eyes. They glittered under the stadium lights and Megumi was captivated by his overwhelmingly friendly presence. He was tanned and there were whisker marks on his cheeks, which was one of his defining features. He wore a smart orange blazer, a beige dress shirt and dark grey trousers, and a pair of sturdy boots. Megumi couldn't avert her eyes from the ball of energy waving ecstatically to the audience. His clothes were poorly coordinated, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest as he took his place beside the prim and proper CEO. He folded his arms behind his head as he continued to grin cheesily at the audience.

Finally Megumi stared wide eyed as a woman emerged from behind the screen. She wore a smart-casual blazer and blouse tucked into her form fitting dress paints. She held an air of intelligence, power and grace that Megumi could only dream of having. She had a beautiful heart shaped face, striking emerald green eyes. Her hair was the shade of cherry blossoms which was cropped at chin level and her fringe was fashionably pulled to the side. She was young and gorgeous! She gave a humble bow towards the audience and waved. Megumi could easily imagine this woman to be a doctor and professor at the Tokyo University just from the way she worked the room and the way she carried herself with such honour and dignity. She reminded Megumi of a new aged woman who was career-driven, unyielding and not afraid to pursue their dreams for high education, unlike the women in her country hometown. She took her place beside the CEO of TopRamen and propped her arms on the panel, fingers laced in front of her face as she adorned a professional smile.

" _The contestants for today is Tadokoro Megumi and Hayama Akira!"_

Megumu 'eeped' and took that as hers and Hayama-san's cue to emerge to the stage. Hayama-san strode past her as if she was nothing and confidently walked up to his own cooking station. Megumi hurried behind him being careful not to make a fool out of herself and trip. When she finally got to her spot she suddenly felt an overwhelming crushing sensation around her lungs and heart. Oh no, she was really feeling the pressure. She absolutely dreaded that. All of a sudden all her years in Tootsuki was coming under scrutiny in the judging eyes of the students of the school. She could vaguely hear chanting from the Polar Star dorms somewhere amongst the audience and relieved some of the suffocating feeling. That's right, she had friends to support her and that was all that mattered. She glanced nervously at Hayama-san, dressed in his dark and white trimmed uniform. He pinned her with a callous and aloof look before turning his attention forward. Megumi released a shaky breath.

She steepled her hands together and closed her eyes. She tuned out the audience until they were muffled mumbles and went into a light meditative mode as she concentrated. She felt her breathing calm and her heart beat return to normal. She could do this.

" _The theme today is_ _ **High Tea.**_ _You may begin cooking… NOW!"_

The gong sounded off.

Megumi snapped her eyes open. She knew exactly what needed to be done. She was ready.

* * *

Ayame glued herself to the glass. Time crawled since the sound of the buzzer. It was halfway into the match and she wish she had eaten before she came because just watching the contestants cooking like real chefs was already making her stomach ask her when lunch was. The two talented contestants doing amazing delicate work, slicing and cooking their ingredients with upmost precision got her blood racing. While Megumi-san bestowed devout care and gentleness in her style, Hayama executed quick and precise techniques, similar to what she had seen in his _shokugeki_ with Mito-san. Their ingredients were many and vast and they had to come up with lots of little bite-sized delicacies. Using only bits and pieces to create those small and tiny individual dishes. Ayame could only admire such artistry. Could they really pull of a high tea platter in two hours?

Ayame didn't know much about high tea as Karakura didn't have any high tea places. She did see one shop that served high tea, when she was on her first date with Takumi-kun in Ikebukuro. Her knowledge of High tea was that it was an upper-class social event enjoyed by the British and their colonies where they sat around making small talk whilst drinking tea and milk. They were often served a three-tiered platter of cute little finger sandwiches with gourmet fillings, fluffy scones with clotted cream and jam and tiny little savoury snacks or desserts. She was sure she only understood high tea on a commoner's level as she wasn't exactly a foodie and mostly enjoyed Italian cuisine and whatever Takumi-kun made.

Takumi-kun and his classmates started discussing about the intricacies of what Megumi-san and Hayama-san were doing in small groups. Ayame couldn't wait to see what stunning dishes they were going to come up with.

"What do you think they are going to make?" she asked Takumi-kun.

"It looks like Tadokoro-san is going for the classic British style of high tea. Which is a mix of both savoury and dessert. Whilst Hayama is aiming for a Japanese-Western fusion high tea" said Takumi-kun. "Both have their advantages and disadvantages. A more liberal take would allow Hayama to exercise his creativity and expand his limits of what could be included in a 'high tea' however he risks straying too far from the definition of 'high tea'. Tadokoro-san is in the safe zone of the definition of 'high tea' however, she needs to make her dishes and skill outstanding to outshine Hayama's more unique flare" he continued.

"So what _is_ the real definition of High tea then?" asked Ayame.

"High tea is a meal eaten in the late afternoon or early evening. It typically consists of a hot dish, followed by cakes and bread, butter and jam. Occasionally there would be cold cuts of meat, such as ham salad or something similar. The term was first used around 1825, and 'high' is used in the sense of 'well-advanced', like 'high noon' for example to signify that it was taken later in the day compared to afternoon tea"

"Hmm… that's sounds quite _basic_ compared to what I've seen on TV or on the internet" Ayame commented.

" _Preciso._ You see, the fancy _afternoon tea_ was something the upper-class enjoyed because they didn't have to work or anything and _high tea_ originally stemmed from the commoners or the working class of England. This was because they had a different time schedule and obviously didn't have much money for anything but the necessities. The commoners usually work throughout the day and come home at around sixish or _late_ afternoon. Therefore _afternoon tea_ was much too early for them and _late_ or _high_ _afternoon_ _tea_ suited the time schedule for the working class a lot better. It was shortened then to _high tea_ for the working class of England and it became like a sort of a 'mini-meal' that covered _evening meal_ also. Soon the upper-class developed their own fancy variation, which is known as the _high tea_ of today"

"Oh cool! Do you think we could go find a high tea place somewhere and try it?" asked Ayame. She was fascinated with Britain's obsession with tradition engraved even in their own mealtimes.

Takumi-kun smiled down at her "Of course. I can take you somewhere to experience it yourself. There was that place we passed in Ikebukuro before that does high tea" he said.

Yep! Takumi-kun and she were definitely on the same wavelength.

"Hey are you guys watching the match, or are you gonna continue planning your next date?" teased Yukihira-san from behind.

"Huh? Uh… yeah…" Takumi-kun flustered into a crimson tomato and Ayame tried to hide her chuckle for the both of them being caught out not fully paying attention to the match. When Ayame turned back to the glass. She saw Hayama-san reveal a large wooden boat! Oh now she realised, it was a _funamori_ boat or the _sushi_ and _sashimi_ boat! It was deep mahogany red that was delicately lacquered. What was really special about this _funamori_ boat was that it came in three-tiers, just like British high tea! From her view, it looked like it could be about the size of a large serving dish. Hayama-san had already started plating his little dishes and adding final touches like drizzling sauce or something, while Megumi-san struggled to lift out her traditional British three-tiered platter. Ayame glanced at the clock and saw that they now had ten minutes left. It was a nail biter.

She had no idea which person was going to win.

* * *

Akira wiped his brow as soon as he dropped his spoon into the sink and stepped away from his _funamori_. The buzzer sounded and Tadokoro, that mousey woman also stepped back looking like she was about to pass out from exhaustion. He was sure he had this in the bag. He looked towards the judges who were surveying both his and Tadokoro's high tea platters with utmost interest.

" _First to finish is Hayama Akira!"_ came the announcement from the emcee. _"Please step forward and present your dish!"_

Without a word and all the confidence in the world. Hayama sucked in a breath and lifted his _funamori_ boat and placed it on the trolley. It was heavy. He pushed it swiftly without any of his delicacies shifting and stopped it gently in front of the guest judges' panels. While the CEO of Igakono _senbei's_ face remained as still as stone, the other two judges were showering it with appraised looks.

"Hah! This looks scrumptious _dattebayo_. Tell us a bit about what you've made" said the CEO of TopRamen.

"Certainly" Hayama folded his hand behind him and cleared his throat. "My dish consists of both sweet and savoury. The savoury components begin with _tempura_ _ise-ebi_ and _tempura_ zucchini and eggplants lightly fried with a mix of tempura and potato flour. I have here, thinly sliced, soy-seasoned _kobe beef_ sandwiches with cos lettuce and _momotaro_ tomato for a more Western flare. There are chargrilled _teriyaki_ _jidori_ chicken in a merlot and honey glaze with a touch of balsamic vinegar. Over here are kingfish and salmon _nigiri_ and California _temaki sushi_ served with salmon roe-wasabi dressing. Over here is the egg omelette with seaweed salad and baby radish dressed in soy, lemon and my homemade _goma_ sauce. I've also made _kobe_ beef _tataki_ with _ponzu_ sauce and _Jidori_ chicken _karaage_ with spicy tarragon mayonnaise. Finally, this is the light _jidori_ chicken and _soba_ noodle suit as the palate cleanser."

Akira paused and allowed the judges to visually take in the savoury components of the bottom and middle tier of his Japanese-Western fusion _funamori_ high tea and process his words. Akira then gestured to the top tier.

"For the dessert component, I have some sweet red-bean _mochi,_ and strawberry- _sakura mille-feullie_ with _matcha_ cream and custard. This is _matcha_ tiramisu, black sesame _brulee,_ chocolate and mandarin mousse, and plum wine _panacotta_. Over here I have the red-bean _éclair_ with fresh cream and slices of _yuzu_ and almond castella cake, some mini _matcha_ and white chocolate cheesecakes and finally _Mitarashi dango_ as the palate cleanser" concluded Akira.

The CEO of Igakono _senbei_ finally showed a visible reaction to his dish which was a very subtle raise of the eyebrow. Akira had managed to really test his skills and went all out on his Japanese-Western fusion _funamori_ high tea and he was indeed proud of his work.

"Alright, thank you Hayama-san. We will sample your dishes now" said Dr Haruno sweetly.

Akira began serving them each of the many small delicacies he made on separate plates. He then watched as each judge tried a piece and their faces morphed into surprise and astonishment. Each person had different degrees of reaction. Dr Haruno sighed a lot and squirmed in her seat whereas the CEO of TopRamen wanted to cram everything into his mouth. The CEO of Igakono _senbei_ on the other hand was eating at the appropriate pace and really took his time chewing, as he was putting extra though in each taste.

The CEO of TopRamen was the first to speak "Hmmm! The _tempura-ise ebi_ was certainly a generous size and tasted extremely fresh. The tempura batter was amazingly light, airy and crispy. You've also made your _kobe_ beef sandwich to resemble the classic finger sandwiches in British high tea, which was really clever and very tasty. Finger-licken' goodness! Man, I can't get enough of your use of the classic _funamori_ boat to showcase your high tea platter. It's crazy that you managed to find one that comes in three tiers. It really completes your platter and really livens up my expectations of your high tea treats. I should get myself one of those! What do you think, Sakura-chan?"

"I agree, the _funamori_ boat was a terrific idea. But in looking at the food themselves, _nigiri_ was extremely fresh and your ability to slice the fish to create a stereoscopic look makes if so much more aesthetically pleasing. Your _sushi_ tasted extremely fresh and you've cut the best parts of the fish. The chargrilled _teriyaki-jidori_ chicken absolutely melted in my mouth. The combination of the delicate merlot with the honey really compliment the richness and subtle flavours of the _jidori_ chicken and the balsamic vinegar provided the tangy kick to tie in the abundant fusion of Japanese and Western flavours together. I thought the egg omelette and seaweed-radish salad had a unique texture to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed as it added more variety to this visually stunning dish. I thought the _jidori_ chicken and soba noodle soup was a very clever palate cleanser. It was fresh, fragrant and light. I would definitely bring my colleagues to have lunch with high tea like this. What did you think of the desserts Sasuke-kun?" she concluded, turning her head to the other side of the panel.

The other male CEO had already finished his plate long ago and was sitting comfortably with his eyes closed, as if still continuing to evaluate what he ate. Akira waited for his response with baited breath.

"The use of Chinese soup spoons to house the samples Western style desserts created a uniform paradox between the West and Eastern culture. Do I think it is appropriate for High tea? Possibly, but it looks like you've considered more about the modern conception of high tea not the traditional conception. So I'll give you're the benefit of the doubt"

"Oh come-on Sasuke- _teme!_ Don't get all philosophical and comment on the taste and presentation already" chuckled the CEO of TopRamen.

"Shup up _dobe._ You've used Eastern elements which echo the traditional Western style desserts which you did a good job in tying in both flavours and textures. For example the sweet red bean _mocha_ was reminiscent of raw scone batter—"

"Yeah, I bet that brought nostalgic tears to your eyes. You used to sneak a dip of your finger in raw batter and cookie dough when we were kids—"

 _"Shut. Up"_ the stoic man didn't raise his voice, but the increased intensity carried his annoyance and anger just fine, as he hissed at the shining ray of sun beside him whilst Dr Haruno face-palmed and groan.

"As I was saying. The red bean _éclair_ with fresh cream was similar in that regard as well and I felt it was the equivalent of the classic scone. The black sesame _brulee_ was delicious with the sesame setting off the sweetness of the _brulee_ beautifully and with the glazed sugar layer. The chocolate and mandarin mousse was really fresh and had a nice married taste. Plum Wine _Panacotta_ was the standout dessert dish in my opinion, with its freshness, smoothness and refined subtle flavours" said the CEO of Igakono _senbei_ with much gravitas.

"Hayama-kun, I found that the addition of sparkling _sakura sake_ and lemongrass and _Sencha_ tea really tied in the flavours without taking over the tastes of the food, thus allowing me to continue enjoying the morsels while kicking back and relaxing _._ It gives an added class to your dish. Well done" said Dr Haruno.

Akira bowed and thanked them before stepping back. He casted Tadokoro with another penetrating look and smirked at her squeamish response.

"Alright! Let's give our scores _dattebayo!"_

Seventeen from the CEO of Igakono _senbei,_ Uchiha Sasuke _._

Nineteen from the CEO of TopRamen, Uzumaki Naruto.

Eighteen from Dr Haruno Sakura.

" _Next up is Tadokoro Megumi! Please present your dish!"_

* * *

 **Oh my god... That was intense writing for me. I would have to do that again to show case Megumi's high tea platter. I hope Akira's dish sounded delicious to you all! It was so difficult for me to imagine high tea with spice for Hayama so I chose to opt out and not risk writing something beyond my capabilities. I'm no food critic and I can only handle so much... :(**

 **I wonder what Erina would think of Chizuru if she found out that she had congenital anosmia?**

 **What about those guest judges?! I COULDN'T RESIST! Tootsuki judges are usually someone famous in the food world. But in _OUR_ world, who is famous? Team 7 of course! If you go back to the chapter about the Summer Solstice Festival, it mentions that they were the same food companies that sponsored it :P In this chapter I tried hard to not give them too much focus and just referred to them by their titles rather than their names**

 **Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing off**

 **\- TripWire-dono**


	27. Reshuffle: Akira vs Megumi part 2

**Good evening!**

 **The poll for your favourite OC characters in A Touch of Saffron is still up. Come visit my profile and vote for your favourite characters and have a look at what others have chosen :) just a bit of good fun.**

 **Okie dokies, now that I've got that off my chest, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

 _Chapter 27 - Elite Ten Reshuffle Competition: Akira vs. Megumi part 2_

* * *

" _Next up is Tadokoro Megumi! Please present your dish!"_

The blunette chef shivered on the spot. Seventeen, nineteen and eighteen were really high numbers! How could he ever hope to beat Hayama-kun's score? Megumi gulped and her throat felt dry. She steeled her resolved and tried not to get too bogged down by it. She made it this far afterall. Numbers didn't mean everything and numbers didn't define who she was as a chef. She carefully hooked her fingers under the stainless steel handle and placed it on the trolley, along with her selection teas. She gently pushed the trolley and walked smoothly and confidently towards the judging panel, making sure that her petite morsels didn't slip or slide. Condescending whispers filled the stadium but she blocked them out, concentrating on how she was going to explain her high tea platter to the three esteemed judges. She counted her treats again. One… two… three. Thank goodness. There were three of each of the many morsels she'd made. Perspiration began to build again on her forehead and she tried to quell the bout of nerves and butterflies causing a ruckus in her gut. She could feel Hayama-kun's eyes on her, watching her every move like a ravenous hawk. This was her moment now and she was confident that she will be impressive.

Finally, she made it and placed her high tea platter steadily before the judges and proceeded to pour them her selection of teas. The judges' eyes widened as they drank in the vibrant colours of her treats. Their mouths started to drop slightly and tilted their heads, analysing what is in front of them like they had done with Hayama-kun's dish. Megumi hoped she had enough to show off her skills as a chef.

"Sweet. They all look so pretty, _ojou-chan!_ Talk us through the elements on your platter" said the CEO of TopRamen with awe.

"Umm… I-I've concentrated more on desserts than savoury. Although! I d-do have a savoury dish which is rosemary shortbread with goat's cheese topping. So… the desserts I have include the lime curd and coconut tapioca pudding in this _v-verrine_ , some hazelnut praline tarts, white chocolate raspberry profiteroles and the chocolate popsicle s-surprise…"

The judges hummed in appreciation. The CEO of Igakono _senbei_ leaned back and crossed his arms has he listened to her mousy voice with a small upturn quirk in the corners of his lips, whilst the more orange and bright CEO grinned from ear to ear, scratching the back of his head. Dr Haruno continued to rest her chin on her interlaced fingers, elbows propped on the table. She was smiling brightly also.

"A-Also… I've made mini strawberry shortcakes, chocolate tiramisu crumble _,_ blackberry _verrine,_ some spiced-carrot orange cakes with white chocolate g-glaze,and lastly is the passionfruit curd meringues…" Megumi lost all the breath at the end. This was so daunting. To think she was standing this close to these famous judges.

She was met by stony silence.

"… and your tea selection…?"drawled the masculine and terse voice of the CEO of Igakono senbei. His facial expressive remained cold and tense.

"Oh yes! S-Sorry, I forgot! Umm…" Megumi flinched in the spot. She forgot to talk about her chosen tea! How stupid and inattentive she was.

"I have a selection of T-Turkish pear- I MEAN APPLE t-tea and Irish afternoon…" Megumi stuttered. Her face burst into flames and the sounds of mocking audience laughter reached her ears. She wished the ground could open and swallow her up, saving her from this humiliating ordeal. She looked up behind her and saw the viewing box in the air. There was Souma-kun standing there smiling at her. He was a speck in the distance, but she knew it was him. She turned back around to the judges.

' _Whatever happens, we'll always be proud of you Megumi'_

Her dorm-mate's words rose from the murky depths of her swirling negative thoughts. All of a sudden her chest started feeling warm as if the presence of all her precious Polar Star dorm friends were filling her heart. Souma-kun always knew what to say to her, whether he was there or not, to bring her from the abyss.

"Don't worry about Sasuke- _teme, ojou-chan!_ He doesn't mean to be a tight-arse. He's always looking like somebody's put too much starch in his underwear anyway" chuckled the CEO of TopRamen.

Megumi looked up in shock at the tanned and friendly face in front of her. His blue eyes sparkled with cheek and his smile looked utterly mischievous. He flashed her his white shiny teeth as he chuckled like a little child and winked at her. He must have sensed that she was feeling terrified and awfully anxious, and so he was trying to dispel her nerves and cheer her up by cracking a joke about the fearsome CEO of Igakono _senbei_. Megumi was curious as to why all the judges were calling each other by their first names with such affectionate honourifics. Perhaps they've all known each other for a very long time? His face then relaxed into a gentle smile and Megumi gave her own shy smile back, her cheeks still feeling flushed, but not as embarrassed as she was before.

" _Mou, Naruto._ Do you always have to use Sasuke-kun as your punch-line like that?" Dr Haruno scolded the blonde CEO beside her.

"Look at her! She was scared stiff as soon as he opened his mouth! I had to say something before Sasuke- _teme_ could vaporise her with his posh attitude, _dattebayo_ " the CEO of TopRamen whinged held his hands up in defence as the beautiful doctor rapped her nails on the bench threateningly.

"Ano… I'm alright—"Megumi attempted to calm down the two over-zealous judges.

"Naruto… you are here to be a taste-testing judge. Act like a professional just as Sasuke-kun is doing already"

"Even that prick over there isn't denying it aren't you—WOAH HEY! Don't just dig in by yourself, you jerk!"

The CEO of TopRamen suddenly gasped with incredulity at the raven haired CEO beside him who was already halfway through the spiced carrot and orange cake with white chocolate gaze.

"Too slow _dobe._ I'm not here to waste valuable time listening to your petty words. Don't be mistaken that I would humour your low grade insults like my brother does" said the CEO of Igakono _senbei_ curtly. He didn't even look to his left at the other judges at all, choosing to keep his eyes closed as he spoke. She didn't even see him take anything on any of her three tiers and already one of the spiced carrot orange cake is missing!

"Yeah well, at least I don't have a brother that ran away from home to be a saxophonist and join a jazz band—"

"Stop it Naruto! Eat before we eat your share too. I apologise on Naruto-no-baka's behalf, Megumi-chan" Dr Haruno pulled the corners of her lips in dismay as she poured herself some of the Turkish apple tea. The CEO of TopRamen grumbled and his face slowly turned red as he grabbed one of the strawberry shortcake and popped it into his mouth.

' _What just happened?'_

Megumi twisted from left to right. Oh no! She was supposed to be serving them on little plates, with each of her petite desserts, but they were just helping themselves. Oh what would _okaa-san_ say about her for neglecting her customer service skills in such a crucial moment such as this? She quickly fetched the plates and the tongs and only realised that it was too late and just held them in her hands awkwardly. They didn't seem bothered at all with using their hands and none of them except the CEO of TopRamen was dropping crumbs onto the panel. Megumi held her breath as she watched the three guest judges sample each of her desserts.

"When I look at your platter Megumi-chan, I get excited and there's a sense of fun to its presentation. I kept smiling as I saw this because you've seemed to incorporate everything there is to know to a high tea dessert platter. Here, there's a great variety of techniques, texture, colours and flavours. They're all different and it's really exciting" Dr Haruno beamed as she wiped her mouth delicately with her napkin.

Megumi smiled too, feeling relieved that her presentation had impressed the female doctor.

"Hear, hear. When I tried the chocolate popsicle surprise, damn It was a sure-fire treat in the mouth _dattebayo!_ The mousse centre was so soft and the chocolate outer shell cracked beautifully. The _popping candy_ in the chocolate was the best _surprise_ I could've hoped for" laughed the CEO of TopRamen.

"I agree, I love the popping candy. It's so fun!" Dr Haruno joined in too.

"The creamy mouse and the chocolate shell is so simple, but so effective and perfect" said the CEO of Igakono Senbei.

"It was a good idea to freeze the mouse, _ojou-chan_. Good job" said the CEO of TopRamen.

"I really enjoyed the white chocolate raspberry profiteroles. The dried crumbed raspberry pieces on top was a nice touch and added that extra texture. From the outside, it looked really good and each piece rose up very well"

"Yeah, the flavour's not bad. It's like a little _choux_ pastry encased raspberry bomb in the mouth" smiled the CEO of TopRamen.

"With the strawberry shortcake, I think the use of the little biscuit base is what makes it and lifts it from being just berries-and-cream into a new level. When it's cooked into that wonderful golden brown, it gives a hint of savouriness to it as well. Well done" said the CEO of Igakono _senbei_.

"Now to my favourite part. For the lime curd and coconut tapioca pudding, it's such a good idea to use a _verrine_ to display all the lovely layers of this dessert. It's great to whet the appetite because I can see the layers of the golden toasted coconut at the bottom, the silver pearliness of the sago in the middle and on top is the green lime curd with mint on top!" The CEO of TopRamen held up the tall shot-glass sized jar into the air. "I love coconut and sago and the crunch at the bottom. I love all these light flavours and the mint at the end just lifted everything. I think it's really fun and these are the sorts of things I really enjoy"

The other judges nodded too. Megumi was reeling from their praises.

"For the blackberry _verrine,_ kudos for using the _verrine_ again, it gives the whole platter definition. The blackberry puree was quite good, it's sweet and this morsel is full of blackberry flavours" said Dr Haruno. "With the passionfruit curd meringue, this was a standout for me. The texture was really good, there were no lumps in mine at all!" she continued.

"So next with the tiramisu" followed up the CEO of TopRamen. "I love the idea of eating a tiny tiramisu hehe" he rubbed the back of his head. "When it comes to high tea, people talk about making things dainty and surprising, so this is a really cute idea"

"The rosemary shortbread with goat cheese was excellent. It was fresh, light and there was a lovely friability about it and the sliver of orange on top of the goat's cheese was a nice balance against the rosemary. I think the pastry was really crumbly, beautiful texture, well baked and perfect thickness. It was a nice little bite" said the CEO of Igakono _senbei_.

For the first time that evening, he looked at Megumi straight in the eyes and she didn't feel scared at all. His lips were upturned ever so softly and she had to really squint to see that hint of a smile. There was a hidden gentleness and mellowness in his dark eyes that told her he genuinely enjoyed her high tea.

"Finally Megumi-chan, the Turkish apple is winning selection that compliments all the flavours you've presented to us. High tea isn't high tea without the well… _tea!_ " said Dr Haruno.

"Nah, I like classic old Irish afternoon better. But it's nice that you've included two types for us to try, _dattebayo_ "

"So let's give our scores" said the raven haired CEO. He was back to being cold and calculating and straightening his suit.

Each judged bowed their heads to type in their numbers onto the keyboard beneath the panel.

Eighteen from CEO of Igakono Senbei, _Uchiha Sasuke_

Nineteen from CEO of TopRamen, _Uzumaki Naruto_

Nineteen from Tenure professor of Toudai, Dr _Haruno Sakura._

 _She_

 _Could_

 _Not_

 _Believe_

 _Her_

 _Eyes_

"I… I w-won…?" squeaked Megumi. She scored two points above Hayama-kun's?!

Megumi couldn't move a muscle and everything just overwhelmed her. Was this a dream. She pinched herself and the stinging pain was as real as the audience's applause. She looked at the faces of the judges and each of them were smiling at her. Suddenly her vision started to warp and the colours before her started blending together like a psychedelic dream. Tears were filling her eyes. They slowly dripped onto her cheek. Why was she crying? Had she lost? No, they were tears of joy. For the first time in her life, she was crying because her efforts had finally paid off. She had done this. She had done this all by herself. She didn't have Souma-kun standing behind her, assisting her in the kitchens like before, but only his words encouraging her from her heart.

" _The Winner of the first match of Round One is Tadokoro Megumi!"_

The announcement echoed through her bones and it bounced around in her head. She'd won. _She'd won._

"Hey"

A deeper voice reached out to her and Megumi turned around and was surprised to see Hayama-san was standing there. She was still trying to catch up with what had happened. He had the most displeased looking face. His eyes were burning into her and the furrows of his forehead was deep as he frowned at her dangerously. His muscles were incredibly tense as if he was bottling all his pain and anger. The corners of his lips almost snarled, but they didn't.

And yet, he still held his hand out for her to shake.

' _Hayama-san…'_

Megumi patted down her uniform and grasped his hand. His hands were clammy and so were hers. They were also calloused, proof of the blood, sweat and tears he invested in his cooking.

"Don't think this is over Tadokoro. You still have yet to face the actual Elite Ten members in Round two. If you cough up in your next match and fail miserably like you usually do, it will be an insult to me and I won't forgive you. Got that?"

"Y-Yes sir!" Megumi squeaked.

Hayama-san released her hand and stormed off. He packed up his things and walked off without looking back.

* * *

" _Oh my gosh! Megumi-san won!"_ Ayame-chan bounced up and down. She grabbed Chizuru's hand and shook her about like she was on a sugar high. Ayame-chan was about as happy for someone else's success as she was for her own.

Chizuru smiled back and she wrangled back her hand. She continued to look at the large TV screen high above the stadium and watched Tadokoro-san weep shamelessly. Well, she had every reason to cry for happiness. Yukihira-san had regaled her the adventures of Tadokoro finding herself and her road to success as a chef. He made it sound like her road was trashed with broken glass, tacks and rust encased nails and she had to walk to her goal in nothing but socks. Chizuru still felt happy for Tadokoro-san. She was similar to Ayame-chan, except Ayame-chan had a hell of a backbone.

She replayed the images from the huge TV screen of both Hayama's and Tadokoro-san's high tea platters. She hadn't salivated in a long time. _A very long time_. So it was interesting to feel extra liquid pooling into her mouth and her stomach started yearning for food, but not out of hunger. The abundance of colour and the visually stunning presentations of both platters took her breath away. How was it possible that these crazy kids could accomplish such a feat? It was like this school pumped out genius chef. When she stared at each morsel through the TV screen, she could already feel the textures of each treat in her mouth. The crunch, the crackle, the crumble, the mushiness, the creaminess, _everything._ She could already imagine the level of acidity from the more fruity and citrusy dishes dancing across her tongue and the coolness of it sliding over the insides of her mouth. She didn't bother with the gustatory senses like sweetness and sourness because they all tasted standard to her, but as soon as the judges mentioned popping candy on the chocolate surprise popsicle, she had to have it. _Popping candy_ was her naughty food.

"No offense guys, but Hayama was the winner of the Autumn elections last year and he beat Yukihira-kun, so how was it that Tadokoro Megumi won?" asked Nakiri Alice.

She stood off to the side with her bodyguard, Kurokiba. She crossed her arms beneath her bust and had a thoughtful but condescending facial expression like the thought of Tadokoro-san winning was mentally taxing and she needed a cold compress.

The brunette guy she came to know as Isshiki Satoshi stepped forward "Because, Alice-san. Modern day high tea is all about _variety_ in the technical sense _._ There has to be a _variety_ of techniques incorporated into it, _variety_ of flavours, textures, colour, presentation. High tea isn't something you can hold back your skill. People pay good money to attend a high tea and they expect the highest standards and the finest petite morsels for a social get-together. Tadokoro-kun and Hayama-kun ticked all the boxes in that regard. However first and foremost people go to high tea for the _**experience**_ _._ That is where Hayama-kun wasn't able to quite fit the mark _"_ he said

Chizuru was weirded out by him as soon as she saw him on the stairs and was still weirded out by him now. Sure he was a scrumptious looking hot piece of arse but she never trusted anyone in a perpetual smile. Not to mention whenever he opened his eyes, it was like looking at a fox hiding a knife behind his back. Chizuru didn't know whether she should give him a thumbs up or a thumbs down sign.

"Yeah, I can see Megumi's got the upper-hand in that" said Yukihira-san. All eyes turned to him. "Her special skill is customer service and warm hospitality. She always wants to make sure that you are enjoying yourself, looked after, thoroughly content and are experiencing the most that you can from her dishes. To have that skill, she has to be very perceptive and intuitive, which is either a rare gift, or takes years to build. Again she's tapping into the judges memories of _fun_ and incorporating that back into her high tea platter like the popping candy chocolate popsicle. Everybody likes 'fun'. The judges want an experience to remember" said Yukihira-san, waving his index finger around.

' _Damn… he's got brains'_

" _Precisco._ A customer might forget what they ate, but they will never forget how you made them feel" said _Benedicto_ as he nodded sagely beside the red-headed student chef.

' _Okay, so does Benedicto… apparently'_

She supposed they were right. When Chizuru, Ayame-chan and Kuchiyose-kun were taken around Polar Star dorms and their plantation during their summer holiday visit, Tadokoro-san was nothing but nurturing and thoughtful. Sure she was clumsy and stubbed her toe against every possible thing, but she never stopped making them feel welcomed and at home. Chizuru actually quite treasured her time out in the plantation because it was a unique experience.

"If you look at Hayama-kun's Japanese-Western fusion high tea platter, each individual piece is something you could find in any _sushi_ place like the _karaage, nigiri, dango_ and whatnot. They are just put together on a three-tiered platter, arranged like the classic high tea, nothing more. It's lacking that level of complexity, daintiness, befitting of somebody who would ideally pay _a lot_ of money to experience a real high tea. I honestly commend Hayama-kun for his diversity and his original approach in incorporating the _funamori_ boat, but high tea is a _uniquely British experience_. It is steeped in hundreds of years of tradition and _culture._ Even the fast-moving world and time itself cannot entirely change the values instilled into high tea. That is _exactly_ what the judges are looking for. It's more than who's got the best flavour combinations. It's also about _respect, appreciation and understanding_ for an age old tradition. One has to pour in all their resource and their knowledge of the theme and present to the customer the greatest of their skills, which is what Tadokoro-kun had proved. She had taken the classics like _profiteroles,_ strawberry shortcake, savoury biscuits, _tiramisu,_ cakes and puddings and twisted them into a new level of fun petite treats that is befitting of a high tea. Think about it, if you were taking your family or friends to high tea, which shop would you go to: Tadokoro-kun's or Hayama-kun's?" said Isshiki-san.

' _Damn. He got brains too'_

"I guess… I would go to Tadokoro-san's" said the girl named Hisako.

"Why is that?" asked Isshiki-san.

"Because… I want the _real_ high tea experience…"

"Exactly. We go to eat out for the _experience_. If you'd gone to a place that serves high tea and it feels the same as going to a sushi shop, then it's not _high tea._ " Said Isshiki-san.

"I see…" whispered Ayame-chan.

Chizuru looked out the large floor-to-ceiling window again. She could still see Hayama's _funamori_ high tea boat sitting there.

' _I don't know… But I'd go to Hayama's high tea place too…'_

Chizuru's phone buzzed a few times, signalling that she was receiving a call. She pulled it out and saw that it was _Okaa-san_ calling her. She made a quick dash outside into the hallway to answer but found that it was still too noisy. She looked around and saw the end of the corridor, which was a T-junction. It would probably be quieter. She ran down the corridor and suddenly collided into a large and warm body at the end of the T-junction.

"Ah!"

"Watch it"

 _'What the hell?!'_

Chizuru shook her head and was about to open her mouth to chew them out and stopped.

It was Hayama.

Chizuru instantly flew back into the wall and steadied herself. Hayama brushed himself off and threw a heated glare her way before continuing on, leaving the short girl slumped against the wall with her phone abandoned on the floor. Huh? Oh right… he lost his match, didn't he… He _definintely_ wasn't in any forgiving mood. But he could've at least said _'sorry'_! She picked up her phone, glad the screen didn't crack. She'd noticed she'd missed the call from _Okaa-san_ too. Oh well, she'd call later and stuffed it back into her skirt pocket. She looked up and continue to stare inquisitively at Hayama's back as he trudged away. He had already released his long silvery hair from its hairband and it swayed loosely against his shoulders. It had probably grown a bit longer since she last saw him. This was the first time she had seen him in his chef's uniform and she admitted that it suited him rather well, the navy purple-blue and the silver trimmings was quite nifty and the design was form-fitting. She watched the way he had his hands stuffed into his pockets and the way his feet dragged across the floor.

He was walking away from the room his classmates were in. Chizuru could tell, he didn't even want to show his face to them.

"Hey, I think you did an amazing job on your dishes!" she found herself calling out to him before he got too far away.

He stopped for a moment and grunted before resumed his walk of shame.

Chizuru felt her eyebrow twitch. Really now? She followed after him. "Hey, don't be like that. You gave it as good as you got, right?" Chizuru caught up finally and skidded to the front. "I thought you- oh okay, you're crying…"

Chizuru had never seen a high school boy cry that wasn't her fault. Chizuru thought he was a handsome looking guy, even from the first time she'd met him and the sight of his eyes with a thin sheen of redness and slightly puffed didn't nothing to assuage her thoughts. She wasn't above herself to think a guy crying appeared less than who they were as a person in her eyes.

"I'm _not_ " he fumed and snapped his head away and dodged passed her.

"You're absolutely right, you're _not_ crying. Your eyeballs are sweating" she said, she walked beside him. He was picking up the pace and she had to extend her strides a lot more to keep up with him.

"Why are you following me?" he growled back at her.

"You know how when people say they're 'okay and going to be fine', but really they're not on the inside?" said Chizuru.

"Yeah? What about it" he countered with disinterest.

" _You're okay and going to be fine"_

He stopped again. Chizuru craned her head and tried to peek at his face from a bottom view. Hayama gave a big sigh and lifted his head towards the ceiling. The key to comforting people is that one had to acknowledge the frustration, the pain, and the stress. There was no point in slathering them with gold-plated words of comfort and counsel because all that did was bury and suffocate the hurt inside until it festered and explode. Hayama seemed to be the proud type, someone who was unaccustomed to failure and probably required a more 'roundabout' way of saying things so that he didn't lose face whilst being comforted. If Chizuru thought of an ability she had to make up for her congenital anosmia, it would be that she could ' _read the subtext'._ He breathed in deeply through his nose and Chizuru bet he could probably smell everything in the hallway as he did so with that amazing skill of his.

"You're part of Takumi Aldini's group. Namikaze Chizuru"

"Please, he's part of _my_ group. He's the one practically married into my little fambam" chuckled Chizuru.

"You're the one who _can't smell_ _or taste_ too" he quirked his brow.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"If you're going to pick on me to make yourself feel better, I'm out of here" Chizuru shook her head and rolled her eyes. She felt deflated and turned on her heels, disappointment lingering over her.

" _Wait—"_

Suddenly a firm grip and a tug on her wrist halted her movements. She spun her head around to see what the big idea was and give him a piece of her mind, but found Hayama was holding onto her. She glanced down. His hand was big and his fingers were long, easily encircling her own smaller wrist. His thumb and fingers were even overlapping, securing her tightly. It felt extremely warm and it spread tingles across her skin and up her arms. Chizuru _hated_ people touching her without permission, but for some reason… she was quite alright with this, just this one time.

"I wasn't going to talk shit about it or anything. That would be low of me" he said. Finally their eyes met. His were a brilliant shade of green, just like Ayame-chan's. Then he released her. Her arm fell back to her side limply. He placed his hands on his hips and gave another exasperated sigh, with his head turned away again.

"…Right. My bad…" Chizuru wished she was wearing a long-sleeve shirt so that she could hide her hands in and just wring them together. Instead she tucked them behind her out of anyone's reach.

"What are you doing here anyway?" he asked. He trailed his eyes up and down over her Karakura high school uniform.

"We were invited to watch the match. Thought it was a good day to jig school too, so why not?" she shrugged her shoulders. "That was a pretty tight _shokugeki_ in my opinion. I was impressed. I heard that you won first place in a really big competition last year" she commented.

"Yeah. _Nobody wins for long,_ huh _"_ he said sarcastically. His eyes glazed over in thought.

The short girl blinked and tilted her head. She stepped towards him tentatively. Chizuru tugged a lock of her short hair. She really wasn't one to console people except her close friends, often she was the reason why people needed consoling. One only needed to ask the Queen Bitch of Karakura High school and ask how many hours of therapy she was still attending because of her to get the idea. But when Hayama was standing in front of her, a person she could clearly tell had never seen defeat in his life as a Tootsuki student, pulling the most distraught and bitter expression, thinking he could hide it by gritting his teeth and turning his face away…well… she was a sucker for those sorts of things. After all, she was too familiar with that kind of expression. She only had to revisit those times when Ayame-chan was bemoaning about giving up her dreams to be an engineer every time a failure came her way.

Chizuru reached forward and gently patted his arm once before retracting it back quickly. That got his attention.

"The wheel keeps turning. Everybody will have high points and low points. Everybody wins and loses sometime. It's called _life_. Look, losses are not a crime, otherwise planet earth would be one big intergalactic jailhouse by now. Think of it as a minor setback" said Chizuru.

Hayama narrowed his eyes at her "I don't want your _pity_ "

"Good. You're not having mine even if you begged" she countered.

He furrowed his brows.

She continued on "Getting to the top is easy, but _staying there_ is the hard part. Now you know that being at the top of the mountain means you've got to watch yourself from all sides because you're not the only person to want to hog the breath taking views. But now you're knocked down on the last ledge you were on by another competitor. But hey! You've still got your oxygen supply and your mountain climbing gear. Climb up? Or climb down? Climbing down is easy, and climbing back up will be hard work. If you want it _bad enough,_ to own that glorious view from the top of the mountain again, you learn from your mistakes and devise a new strategy to climb back up and knock down the one's already on top. You can own that view again" said Chizuru.

She didn't expect him to reply straight away, so she was comfortable to let the silence pass between them. The hallways echoed with laughter wafting from the view box the rest of _Benedicto's_ friends were in.

"How do you know I don't already know all that?" scoffed Hayama.

"Look at yourself. We're standing only a few metres away from your classmates and you don't even want to see them and say hello" replied Chizuru.

Hayama regarded her coolly and smirked "You have a way with words, Namikaze-san"

' _Well… shit, that thing he's doing with his mouth on his face is making feel… strange…'_

Chizuru suppressed a smile and settled for a shy grimace. She had always visualised the journey to success and winning as 'mountain climbing' and so, tried her best to shape it into a metaphorical analogy for him to understand. It looked like it worked, he wasn't telling her to bugger off or anything. She wasn't sure what the hell was happening to her body but she could feel her blood rushing to her face as she couldn't tear her eyes from his. Yeah, he was too good-looking to be standing comfortably near him. Her heart began beating a bit more strongly against her will and she finally forced herself to look away.

He sniffed the air.

"What's that perfume you're wearing?" he asked out of the blue.

"Wh-What?"

"You're wearing perfume that smells like several types of orchids" he said like it was nothing.

Hayama leaned forward, closing the distance in front of her face and Chizuru reflexively leaned back. Her eyes widened in confusion and disturbance from their close proximity and it made the hair at the back of neck stand on end. His face was too close to hers and her mouth opened and closed in protest, but no sounds came out. Aww god, she better not be blushing like Ayame and _Benedicto_ did around each other! Gross! Chizuru remained glued to his eyes and were they… was that gold flecks in his green coloured irsises? She'd never seen anything like it! Her affinity for colour told her that was pretty cool and it was mesmerising. She finally took a few steps back and remembered that she was completely flustered. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, making a big show of how inappropriate she thought he was with her personal space.

"Uh… Yeah, I guess?" she bit out a random response. He said _'perfume'._ He must be talking about that fancy bottle of clear liquid she sprayed on herself every morning. Her mum told her to use it because it made her 'smell nice'. Whatever that meant... Chizuru just thought of it as colorful undrinkable magic potion with invisible powers to make people turn their heads and look at her. What was he trying to say?

He leaned back and his face was completely unreadable.

"Hmph. You'd smell a lot more tolerable if you wore _cinnamon_ instead"

He turned on his heels and strode away.

 _'...the fuck? How do you...'wear'...cinnamon...?'_

* * *

"Hayama-kun! How long are you going to sulk in your room? Come out here!"

Akira rolled over on his bed at the sound of Jun's muffled voice on the other side of his door

"Who's sulking?!" he yelled back.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of! Come one, open up. You have classes for the rest of the day!" Jun continued knocking on his door. Akira let her keep doing as she pleased. Soon she will tire and leave him alone that was exactly what she did.

He honestly wasn't sulking. He was just… thinking. He'll get up and go to class whenever he was fucking ready. He mulled over what Namikaze had said this afternoon, after his match. The way she tried to comfort him gave him the impression that she really didn't want to and was duty-bound to do it anyway. What duty had she place don herself? It wasn't like she was obligated to. It wasn't her business, she was just being the audience. It was as if she had done this many times before and it became a natural thing she did and here was another sordid opportunity she and himself had landed each other with. She didn't even have to speak to him or had any reason to acknowledge him. But she still went to great lengths to try to console him.

She didn't sound 'annoyed' nor did she sound like she felt sorry for him. She was just calmly telling him her thoughts and opinions about his predicament as if they were just the facts.

He clearly remembered the way her eyes darkened and grew downcast when he mentioned her lack of her ability to smell and consequently, taste. He wished he could take back those words because whatever the reason, he was uncomfortable with that miniscule flash of bitter dismay across her face as soon as he said it. He even reached out without thinking and grabbed her arm before when she turned away from him!

' _Namikaze Chizuru'_

She sure as hell was something. Akira rummaged through his bedside drawer and pulled out his security. It was a bag of cinnamon sticks. It's sweet, spicy and earthy aroma had a unique effect on him, always successfully calming him down. If he took a deep breath of the heady scent heavily, it overwhelmed his sensitive nose and made him cough, but if he sniffed it lightly and gently, it was beautiful.

' _Yeah. Cinnamon suits her'_

* * *

 **Well done Megumi! I hope her dishes sound delicious. I thought long and hard on who would come out victorious. I thought Hayama winning was too predictable. Megumi could possibly win over Hayama, although close to impossible! It's my job to make the impossible sound believable and I hoped that worked!**

 **Oh my! Hayama, your expertise in scent seems to go beyond the kitchen aye? ;) As you know, Chizuru has a VERY BASIC scientific understanding of 'smell' and is still completely lost over the social, emotional and spiritual implications of 'Smell' and 'Flavour' in human interactions and experiences. Then again, not that she tries very hard to understand it to begin with...**

 **I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter, so that's a two parter down and a few more to go!** **Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon.**

 **Signing off**

 **\- TripWire-dono.**


	28. Paradiso

_Chapter 28 - Paradiso_

* * *

"That was exciting, wasn't it?"

Isami had his hands already placed on his hips as he smiled and nodded to Isshiki-senpai. The brunette upperclassman unlocked his Elite office doors and politely guided him into the middle of the room. He had an extremely delighted expression on his face as if he'd been waiting for this moment the whole day.

Isami had been anxiously waiting for this moment too. After Megumi-san's and Hayama-san's match this afternoon, it was only a matter of minutes before the next pair would be summoned by Isshiki-senpai and follow him back to his office to receive their theme for their _shokugeki_. Isami had been gearing himself up just as _Fratello_ had been also. He'd spent weeks upon weeks of intensive training using everything _Pappa_ taught him from his most recent trip back to _Italia._ In addition, every so often he would stay behind and consult with his teachers on various dishes he carefully devised. In competitions like these where one had no idea what to make until _exactly_ the day before, rote-learning recipes were useless. _Practicing techniques_ was the key and that was what Isami did all this time. Today's contestants had clearly shown the vast improvements they've made since first year. Anything could happen! Like Megumi-san defeating Hayama-san! This competition would be the tightest and toughest in Tootsuki's history. He normally salivated more when he put on weight during the cooler seasons due to physiological changes, but unexpectedly Isami had to catch himself from letting a bit of drool escape past his lips anyway. He really couldn't help it. The thought of catching up to _Fratello_ and battling against one of the Elite Ten was a delicious thought. However first thing's first. He had to defeat his current opponent.

Kurokiba Ryou.

The laid-back boy slouched beside him. He looked completely dead on his feet as if he had come straight back from a dozen _shokugekis_ rather than spectating today's. His eyes remained sullen and at half-mast. His hair was wilder and more unkempt compared to what it was before. A lock of greasy looking pitch-black hair trailed down the side of his face and it almost reached his collarbone. He either had decided to grow out his hair or he couldn't be arsed with such a task. Isami was surprised Alice-san hadn't commanded him to get a neat trim yet. Being an _Italiano_ himself, grooming to maintain a tidy appearance wasn't something men could ignore. Despite what people thought, Kurokiba actually had astounding reflexes and was the sharpest out of the shining jewels of the ninety-second generation. His berserk mode concealed within his apathetic persona was only unleashed through his cooking. People had theories on how and why this split personality developed. Ever since in the middle school division, Isami and _Fratello_ thought it was for strategic purposes mandated by Alice-san to help stoke her image of a 'Master and her personal bipolar Hell Hound' to intimidate everyone. He was placid in ordinary situations, but a ferocious beast in the kitchen. Kurokiba lulled the enemy into a false sense of security with his dead-panned expression. He inflated the enemies' ego by fluffing around when _preparing_ the ingredients before actually cooking. Then _boom!_ The flaming bandana pulled around his forehead would trigger his transformation into _The Cerberus of Tootsuki_ and it unleashed the bloodthirstiness from deep in his soul. He was famous for crushing his opponents into the ground on the cooking battlefield with absolute bloodlust, merciless, until they were bound by _complete submission_ for the flavours he created.

Which Isami would be subjected to if he wasn't careful.

Kurokiba scratched his head like he didn't have a care in the world and merely gazed blankly out the window behind Isshiki-senpai. But Isami could tell he was keeping his ears peeled. He had the hearing of a wild canine.

"Tomorrow, your _shokegeki_ will be at one o'clock sharp and the theme will be _**decadent desserts.**_

Isami's back shot up and gasped.

' _Desserts?! That's the same theme in the match Fratello had with Mimasaka that cost him his prized mezzaluna!'_

Isami must've reacted too overtly without realising because both Isshiki-senpai and Kurokiba suddenly turned to look at him. Isshiki-senpai was still smiling, but his brows were raised in silent question whilst Kurokiba blinked at him as if he was an _idiota_. The younger Italian coughed into his hands as he felt his cheeks getting warm, trying to make himself less conspicuous.

"So… Desserts then…" said Isami trying to shift their attention.

"Yep! Not just _any_ dessert. A _**decadent dessert**_ **.** I'll let you boys figure out how you will make your dishes fit the oh-so descriptive theme for your match tomorrow" said Isshiki-senpai as cheerful as pie. "Any questions?"

" _Ja._ When do we get to the next round, to cook against you Elite guys?" drawled Kurokiba.

Isami didn't sense any impatience in his voice, despite his words implying he couldn't be bothered with the first round. It was obvious Kurokiba was only concerned about the final round. He frowned a bit at the implications that ' _we'_ included _The Cerberus_ himself amongst the victors, as if Kurokiba decided that he had already defeated Isami by standing in the same room as him. He earned himself that nickname representing the three-headed guardian of _Inferno_ as Kurokiba had two extreme personalities. As for the third personality? Everyone suspected he had _another_ side only shown to his master and keeper, Nakiri Alice. But that was speculation nobody wanted to put to the test. Isami resisted the urge to clench his fist and ignored the blood pounding in his ears. It was just Kurokiba's nature to be cocky in his nonchalant way, so he didn't let it get to him and allowed that comment to slip over his head.

"The plan I've put together is back-to-back _shokugekis_. One for each day. So if everything goes well, the first round should conclude by the end of this week. I and the rest of the Elite will take another week to organise the pairings between ourselves and whoever comes out victorious from Round One. Does that make sense?" finished Isshiki-senpai.

"Hmm… Why couldn't you make all the _shokugekis_ on the same day?" asked Kurokiba.

Isshiki-senpai breathed in deeply. He perched onto the side of his table and finally opened his eyes. "Well Kurokiba-kun. Unfortunately all of us have our hands pretty full with issues surrounding Eizan-kun on top of our normal duties. So the Elite Ten had compromised that one _shokugeki_ a day was the most accommodating schedule we could come up with"

Kurokiba sucked his teeth like he didn't care for an answer in the first place.

"If you are worried that other contestants will have more time than you do to practice, you shouldn't be. It isn't as relevant as you think since everybody will be given their themes exactly twenty-four hours before the _shokugeki_ time. What matters most how well you conjure all that you learnt, whether it be within the last few weeks or the last few years, in your two-hour _shokugeki_ "

Kurokiba nodded.

Isami did the same. Was it just him or had Isshiki-senpai been on edge lately? His facial expression had the same jovial and benevolent charisma he'd always known. There were no facial tics, no twitches, no tonal changes, or any fleeting changes to his expression, but it was the atmosphere he exuded that told him that this friendly _senpai_ could snap without warning, like the cold frontier. Isami hoped the Elite Ten weren't stressing themselves out over Eizan-senpai's deal too much. How long had _that_ been going on now? Why were they trying so hard to get him out? Maybe Yukihira-kun would know…

"Are there any other questions?"

"No. _Grazie_ Isshiki-senpai. I'll see you tomorrow" Isami bowed and Kurokiba just nodded. The two teens exited the plush office, closing the heavy door on the way out. The corridors were empty and eerily silent. They both still had half a day of classes lefy and Isami didn't want to miss out on _Chapelle-_ sensei's tutorials.

"Say Kurokiba-san—"

"Shouldn't you be looking up the definition of _**decadent**_ instead of talking to me _?"_ murmured Kurokiba as he brushed past Isami, not even looking at him.

Rude! Isami had only wanted to ask if he had any ideas about Eizan-senpai or what the Elite Ten had been trying to do to help his case. Isami guessed in the end it wasn't really his business, so he extinguished the thought. Isami was a calm and rational person and he tried very hard to develop a thick skin. After all, he went through his whole life believing he only lived in his _Fratello's_ shadow and would never amount to anything compared to his older twin _._ So it was probably natural that Kurokiba saw him as a _nothing._ A baby lamb that wouldn't even be enough to get caught between _The Cerberus's_ fangs let alone fill his stomach _._ He shook his head and lightly slapped himself on the cheeks. _Okay!_ So the theme will be _**decadent desserts.**_ Time to get in the game and really show the school what Isami Aldini was really made of and make himself, _Fratello_ , _Mamma_ and _Pappa_ proud!

As Isami continued to stroll through the corridors back to the main class buildings, he zipped through all his dessert recipes and important dessert techniques that could be classified or modified to become _**'decadent'**_.

 _'Hmm… decadente…la decadenza…something indulgente…'_

He would think more on this later.

Isami admired the scenery outside the windows. The Elite Ten building had amazing views of the well maintained grounds and the distance mountains! The excitement of the day was sure to have died down and so normal classes had to resume. After the Elite Ten reshuffle competitions would be the Autumn Elections once again, exclusive to the first years high-schoolers. Isami fell back into reminiscing as a contestant. He would say that it was the first ever official and most serious match he ever had. The training camps didn't count. It was the _stadium_. He loved the _shokugeki_ stadium. His mood slightly dampened when he remembered his name getting bumped down from the scoreboard and so his chance to participate in the quarterfinals was snatched from him. Once again, he had fallen behind _Fratello._ But not this time… He would make sure he would be good enough to stand beside _Fratello_ and support him _._

Something caught Isami's eye from the large corridor window to his right.

' _Hmm? Who's that…'_

The Elite Ten offices were all upstairs on the second floor so he had an unimpeded view of whatever that was outside the vast and ornate buildings. Isami approached the window and curiously peeked outside, pressing his hand on the crystal clear glass. Down below under the large branches of the Japanese elm trees was a person occupied on a mobile phone. It was a male and he was also leaning his back against the trunk of the majestic elm like he owned it. He was kind of obscured by the foliage, but Isami could still see that he seemed to be having a very animated conversation, gracing his free arm up into the sky as if beseeching The Lord before resting his outstretch palm onto the smooth trunk of the majestic elm. He was definitely not a student, nor was he a Tootsuki official, a chef or any of the administration officers as he was dressed too casually. The man was all in black and his jacket was furry around the edges.

' _An outsider. He seems familiar… where had I seen him before?'_

Then the man spun around on the balls of his feet and Isami could now see his face clearly. Those rust-coloured eyes and that devilishly-friendly smile instantly reminded him.

' _Ah! He's that guy I met at the supermarket in Karakura honchou! ...But what is he doing here?'_

* * *

Takumi expected his stress to lessen when he was with Ayame, but clearly he was wrong. When Isami and Kurokiba got called away shortly after Tadokoro-san was declared the winner, he'd been feeling awfully anxious. It bubbled in his stomach like gas that refused to pass. Yukihira went around patting Isami and Kurokiba on the back as they were the upcoming pair before they followed Isshiki-senpai back to his office. Now that the day was over, Takumi only had his younger _Fratello's_ match tomorrow to look forward to. And then maybe his own will be next. Namikaze, Alice-san and Kuchiyose had mysteriously disappeared in the middle of conversations somewhere, but Ayame assured him that wherever they were they would be fine. She never seemed to worry about her two friends at all.

Classes had resumed by the time Isami and Kurokiba returned and he was delighted to tell Takumi about his theme for tomorrow. Takumi didn't know how well Kurokiba did with desserts as his strengths lied in seafood, but he had no doubts that even Kurokiba might be able to knock a dessert out of the ballpark. Namikaze and Kuchiyose had finally returned from _god_ knew where and once again Ayame just treated their reappearance as a completely normal thing. Since the match of the day was over and all students in the bleachers were trudging on back to class, Ayame wanted to spend the afternoon in the Tootsuki school library so they could walk home together. She carried Isshiki-senpai's name as her all access pass so there shouldn't be any problems. Meanwhile, Namikaze and Kuchiyose had wanted to go home.

Yukihira was the most torn from their departure than anyone else, petitioning that the three Karakura high school students should join chef Chapelle's tutorial anyway and feast their eyes on more cooking action. Of course Nakiri Erina shot down that idea and told him not to be ridiculous and let them get on with their business, stating that if they wanted to go home, then they shouldn't be stopped. the red headed chef seemed to think he and Kuchiyose were 'bros' and had formed some sort of one-sided 'broship' with the silent giant. Takumi couldn't tell if Kuchiyose regarded Yukihira as anything more than an acquaintance. Then again, Yukihira tended to be over-friendly.

Ayame squeezed his hand, bringing him back to the present.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"Yeah. You're being stressed again" she said.

Takumi groaned. Of course she could tell. What gave it away? The despondency? His less-than-usual talkative attitude? His sweaty palms? He didn't want Ayame to worry about him, but some things just went against what he wanted.

"Kurokiba is an extremely formidable opponent. I'm worried how much confidence Isami has in himself" said Takumi.

"I'm sure he'll be fine" said Ayame airily.

The pair got off the bus at Minamikawase bus stop and made their way towards his and Isami's apartment complex. It was Ayame's idea to hang out at his place this afternoon which he was happy to agree to. Isami had decided that he wanted to stay back late at school as he had Chef Chapelle's permission to spend the extra three hours in the practice kitchen before teachers were released from their working hours. Ayame believed that she had the whole 'massaging' thing down pat. At first when she mentioned it with such gleaming exuberance, Takumi felt the muscles in his necks and shoulders bunch up at the memory of the aching pain she inflicted when she 'tried' to _shiatsu_ his back and shoulders last time. Maybe she really did take a closer look at the pamphlet he secretly left in her room. Takumi and Ayame continued to chat about the more detailed ins and outs of _shokuegekis_ as they rode the escalator up to his level. Once they got into this apartment, the two were met by the overwhelming scent of cooked food from this morning before school which got both of them salivating. He turned to his left and saw that Ayame was cutely sniffing the air and her eyes were glistening. He chuckled and pecked her on the forehead as she blushed.

"Take a seat, I'll get us some ice tea and something to eat"

"I'm going to use the bathroom first, if you don't mind" she replied.

"Not at all" he smiled.

The two of them dumped their school things next to the living room coffee table while they went their separate ways. Takumi hummed an Italian tune and poured out a bottle of her favourite peach ice tea. He always kept one or two of her favourite drink in his fridge. The Italian blonde thought of what little snacks he had pre-prepared during his cooking practice that was still in his fridge. Ah, he'd made _hors d'oeuvres_ recently when practicing some _Francese_ techniques. He lifted out a plastic-wrapped plate of them and chose a few to place on a separate dish for Ayame to enjoy. He wanted to see how she reacted.

' _Vorrrp! Vorrrp! Vorrrp!'_

"Hmm?" Takumi's head shot up at the sound of his girlfriend's strange ring tone.

He could never get used to that low wheezing noise. She was still in the bathroom, so he decided to just ignore it until the caller hung-up... Except the caller didn't seem to stop anytime soon. Maybe it was Namikaze? Takumi returned to the coffee table in the living and carefully placed his tray of treats and drinks onto the surface. Ayame's flip phone continued to vibrate and the vibrations were in the middle of carrying it across the table top towards the edge. Takumi deftly caught it before it could fall off. If it was Namikaze, he could just answer it for Ayame and tell the little troll to piss off and make another gaming account so she'd stop third-wheeling them _._ Takumi opened the phone and to his surprise, it wasn't Namikaze's name.

' _Izumo… Saitou Izumo… who's that?'_

Takumi continued to stare at the phone as it vibrated in his hand bellowing _'Vorrrp! Vorrrp! Vorrrp!'_ for a few good moments before it fell silent. He pondered on why the name 'Izumi' sounded familiar as he turned the small flip-phone over and over in his palm.

' _I think Ayame mentioned him before. I think she said…'_

Oh. OH. It was _that_ little shit.

It all came back to Takumi. It was before the two of them started courting. She had mentioned there was a boy named 'Izumo-san' from her school who was constantly pursuing her in the hopes for a courtship. She mentioned that he kept coming after her even when she said 'no'. Takumi remembered that moment like frying an omelette. He had come over to Ayame's home during the summer holidays to teach her how to fry fish. He remembered that annoying prickling sensation on the back of his arms and neck at that guy vying for Ayame's attention and yet, he could do nothing but stew in his seat. It made sense that his brain remembered the name inside and outside, frontwards and backwards because deep in his consciousness, he saw 'Izumo-san' as potential competition. And so, his brain regurgitated that name up in spite.

After all this time, Saitou Izumo was continuing to call _his amore?_

Takumi really wanted to access her phone and find out how many other times he had called her during the time he and Ayame were in a relationship. His conscience was telling him that reading through his girlfriend's phone was a horrible and absolutely detestable breach of respect and privacy. At the same time, he _really_ just wanted to make sure… It wasn't that he didn't trust Ayame… he just didn't trust _this_ guy… At least that was how he rationalised it. He was frustrated just thinking about it and before he knew it, jealousy reared its ugly head. Takumi sunk into the living room sofa and whined lowly. He pinched the bridge of his nose. _Dio mio,_ he was jealous! Since when had he stooped so low… The irritation turned into incessant itchiness. An itchiness he couldn't reach no matter how much he twisted and turned to relieve it. Ayame didn't deserve this… _Cazzo!_ He was sulking right now. But he couldn't help it.

Ayame was his and _his only._

Takumi couldn't bear the thought of another guy trying to get close to her and sharing the same air she breathed. His more amorous side paced back and forth snapping and growling. Ayame was such a gem, a starlight to him. Was Saitou Izumo the only one? Oh Namikaze wasn't shitting him when she said there were plenty of boys after Ayame, He just never thought they would still be after her after she was no longer single. Takumi gnashed his teeth and snapped her phone shut, depositing it back onto the table. It _'vorrrped'_ once again and Takumi, not thinking straight, shot up from his seat to look.

' _What?! Twenty-one missed calls?!'_

His eyes bulged from its sockets. The screen flashed, saying that Saitou Izumo was the twenty-first missed call of the day. Who the hell made twenty-one phone calls in one go?! How on Earth did Ayame allow twenty-one missed calls to pass her?! Was that even possible?! Unless she was purposely avoiding them. That made more sense. Suspicion got the better of him and he grabbed his girlfriend's phone again.

 _Per l'amor di Dio_. To his horror he was right. All twenty-one were from _Saitou Izumo. ALL TWENTY-ONE_.

That did it. Burning jealously steam-rolled over his rational side and he angrily flipped her phone back open. He was going to give his undeserving little _boy_ a piece of his—

"Aya... Takumi-kun what are you doing with my phone?"

"Ah!" Takumi threw the phone up in the air in shock and clumsily caught it in his lap. He flipped his head around to her voice and Ayame was standing there beside the sofa with her hands behind her back, looking at him curiously. Takumi's face felt extremely hot at being caught trying to look into his girlfriend's phone. What had he done...? _Cazzo_ , she wasn't looking happy anymore as he could practically see the gears turning in her head, trying to make sense of this suspicious situation he was in. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. She leaned closer to him now with speculation forming on her face. Suddenly he felt his actions were shameful and childish. But he refused to give in to his shame.

"Izumo _-san_ was calling you" he muttered darkly.

"Hmm... give it here" she held out her hand expectantly.

Takumi watched her like a hawk, not letting any micro-expression escape him. He warily dropped the little flip-phone into her awaiting hand and resumed being sour on the sofa. She rolled her eyes and pressed a few buttons before snapping her phone shut and slipping it back into her school bag. Was she annoyed at him? Or was she annoyed at the little shit on her phone? She better be directing her annoyance at that _other guy._ She flopped herself beside him and pulled up her legs, leaning more into his side and yawned as he reflexively wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She didn't attempt to say anything much to his chagrin.

"You have heaps of missed calls from that guy. Why is _that"_ he asked. He tilted his head at her, raising his eyebrow.

"Izumo-san recently joined the library committee, which I'm also apart of. He's still getting the hang of things so he often calls me for help. Though I wish he'd stop asking me obvious questions and figure things out himself first... Aya!-"

Takumi forcibly hefted Ayame onto his lap and pressed his face into her neck. He was barely listening to her words and just decided that being as close to her as possible was the best way to sooth the tantruming throbbing in his bloodstream.

"Takumi-kun! Wh—"

"Can't you just delete his contact and let him bother someone else?" he groaned.

He enveloped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. The ends of her long hair tickled his face and her scent soothed him. She was warm. Utterly warm. He felt her jerk as he spoke into her neck, just the way he liked it. Takumi started pressed his lips onto her exposed skin in a frozen kiss.

"That would be rude. Takumi-kun are you jea—"

" _Yes"_

He completely cut her off. There was no point hiding it or denying it. Yes, he admitted he was _jealous_. And he wanted her to know exactly that. Takumi pulled his face away from her slim neck and looked at her straight in the eyes. Her own vibrant green ones dilated as she looked back at him in shock. Why should she be surprised that he was jealous? Takumi slid his hands up to her face so that he grasped it, maintaining eye contact. He trailed his eyes over every inch of her blooming cheeks. His breathing fastened as he admired how beautiful she was.

His _bella._ His _amore._ His _Ayame._

Ayame gingerly touched his wrists, feathering her fingertips up his forearms until they rested against his jaw. They each leaned forward until their lips met into a searing kiss. Takumi devoured her. He kept pushing forward until her back bowed and she had no choice but to hang on tightly to the back of his neck and shoulders to avoid falling off. He delved his tongue into her mouth and laced it with her tongue in a sensuous dance. He momentarily released her mouth to suck her bottom lip, causing her to sigh and whimper against him. He closed his eyes and his hands slithered back to her waist. He played his fingers across her smooth back, stroking the small bumps of her spine. His blood resumed pumping through every crevice of his being as he relished in her sweet, heady taste and in the perfect curve of her body against his.

Ayame pulled back, unraveling herself from their lip-lock. His eyes snapped open and his breaths quickened in panic at the growing urgency that was cut short. Ayame slid herself off his lap, her skirt-clad thighs gliding hotly against his thighs as she did so. He didn't understand why she opted to stand in front of him. Her face and neck were flushed red and her lips were swollen and parted as she sucked in deep breaths. _Merda,_ he felt the same way. When was the last time she looked like this? He blinked up at her through the bleary passion, wondering longingly for what she was doing. Her sleek hair was slighted messed up like bed hair and her school uniform was rumpled with her grey skirt riding up her thighs revealing an expanse of her creamy skin. His fingers fidgeted, searching for something to latch on to hold himself steady from the sight of his _amore_ looking so enticing before him. He peered up at her sharply, silently demanding an answer for her actions.

Her delectable lips twisted into a mischievous smile making his groin twitch.

"Hmmm… Maybe I should give Izumo-san harder library tasks so he keeps calling me. Just to see you looking so _cute_ like this"

Takumi's wits snapped. She _just_ did not…!

"AYAME!"

He lunged at her.

Her mocking laughter chimed throughout the apartment as she jumped out of the way and leapt past the sofa. His arms narrowly missed her as he almost collided his knees into the coffee table. She skidded across the living room floor, scurrying away from him as he immediately gave chase. Her hands flapped everywhere as she tried not to bump into walls and corners. His face broke out into a blazing blush from that cheeky remark. She was teasing him! He wasn't going to let her get away with that! Ayame swerved around the kitchen island with Takumi hot on her heels, just an arm-length and a bit bit away. He could only brush wisps of her long midnight black hair as she managed to dart just beyond his reach. His heart thumped heavily against his ribcage in both embarrassment and excitement, his hot blood coursing through him. It was like he was the predator closing in onto his prey. Takumi pushed off the kitchen counter and sped after Ayame, pursuing her around the apartment. _Merda,_ she was fast for someone running and sliding on socks. Her sweet laughter taunted him further and it made him work his muscles harder to catch up to her. Every now and then she would glance back, her eyes glittering with cheek and that playful smile adorning her lips, making Takumi scrunch up his face in further embarrassment, fueling him on his endeavours.

She thought this was fun and games? He wasn't going to let her win!

"Get back here, _bella!_ " he yelled.

"You're soooo cute when you're jealous!"

Ayame grabbed onto the edge of one of the doorways as she swung around the corner. Takumi leapt over their school bags landing in a loud thump causing the objects on the coffee table to clatter. He successfully shortened the distance some more as he hunted her into the hallway. Down the bottom, Ayame turned around and gasped. Ha! She realised the hallway finished at the linen cupboard. She flicked her head from side to side, determining filling her eyes as she worked to figure out which room was her best escape option. Takumi converged on her and reached out his arm, but she ducked from him again and bolted into one of the rooms.

' _Nice try, amore!'_

His girlfriend skidded to a halt in the middle of the carpeted room upon the realisation that escape was futile and the game stopped here. Takumi seized his chance and grabbed her around the middle, picking her up clear off of the floor. Ayame shrieked and kicked her legs out, laughing madly. Takumi's lips stretched into a victorious grin and dumped himself and Ayame onto the closest soft surface.

"… _Ha…Ha_ … In the end… you chose… to run into… _my room_ …" he huffed between breaths in a croaky, dry voice as he anchored himself over her, preventing her from getting up.

Ayame visibly relaxed as she gave into the fact there was nothing else she could do. She brushed his sweaty fringe from his face with shaky fingers and raked it backwards. He purred when her nails scraped along his scalp. She heaved sighs of contentment below him, her chest rising up and down with droplets of perspiration also streaking across her soft skin. Takumi licked his lips, tasting the salt of his own sweat. Ardour overcame him when the adrenaline wore off, leaving him a heated mess with only one thought on his mind. _That he had Ayame exactly where he wanted_. Takumi's ice blue eyes trailed languidly down her length, scanning every inch of her. Ayame laid flat on her back on his blankets. Her hair was fanned out behind her like a halo, with some strands matted delicately to her face and lips. Her hands hands rested beside her head in surrender and her legs were slightly parted and bent up, trying to maintain her own balance. He hovered above her, his thighs pressed tightly on each side of her hips. His own hands were pinned hard into the pillow on each side of her head and his shoulders hunched over her smaller form like the corded muscles on the back of a lion. The two teenagers continued to draw gulps of air into their burning lungs. Ayame's emerald green eyes glazed over as she stared up at him.

"Promise… that you will… stop teasing me?"

"I don't know… what do I get?" she smirked tiredly.

"More like, what _won't_ you get if you don't promise me"

"Aya… that's a tough sell. I don't get any more food from you... Is that it?" she hummed teasingly and threaded her hand through his hair, playing with his golden strands.

Takumi pouted, leaned in and bit her ear.

"Hey! Mercy! Mercy! Alright I promise!" she shrieked until he relinquished her ear.

He chuckled at her and smirked. He'd won like he knew he would. They both stared adoringly into each others' eyes. Takumi couldn't believe they went from fleeting touches, small tokens of affection into something more serious, more indulgent, more intimate. _Sexual._ Takumi wasn't a fool to think he could avoid this moment forever. He could barely control himself when he was alone with Ayame having dinner as it was. He tried to delay the inevitable to ensure they would take that next step only when they were ready. The moral line he created to define their level of 'readiness' was quickly greying and blurring until disintegrated before his eyes. The blonde Italian banished all his thoughts and just concentrated on his love. He lowered his head and placed thick and fast kisses along her cheek, trailing down along her neck. He bent his arms, lowering himself onto his elbows as Ayame craned her neck deliciously to the side giving him further access. Her high-pitched moans stroked his fire. When Ayame felt good, he felt good. That was how these things went and he was more than happy to continue to focus on making her feel good. He changed into harder open-mouthed kisses on the hot skin of her collar bone and felt her knees lift up into his inner thigh as she started to squirm beneath him.

"MMmmm… T-Takumi-kun" she gasped.

Takumi was running on pure hormones now, listening keenly only to the small noises she was crooning. There was no Tootsuki, no Isami, no _Trattoria Aldini_ , no _shokugekis_ or competition. Just him and her. _The only love of his life._ He registered Ayame sliding her arms over his sides and gripped his shoulder blades as she egged him on. Takumi kept his lips latched onto her neck and sucked it gently, utterly soaking in her alluring scent. He couldn't get enough. He reached behind him and grabbed one of her soft hands and intertwined his fingers with hers, bringing it back to the pillow as he clasped her hand with his above her head.

Ayame's moans and sighs became louder and more earnest. Takumi lifted his head and placed chaste kisses upon her lips again, and again, and again until she was out of breath. His groin started to feel engorged to the point that it was straining in his dress pants. He stopped himself and rested his forehead lightly against her, trying to curb the little remains of his sanity.

" _I love you"_ he whispered against her lips.

" _I know"_ she whispered back.

His _bella_ slid further down the bed and pressed her own lips against his neck. Takumi bit his lips and groaned loudly. _Merda_. Her tongue was unbearably hot, laving across his throat like a silky ribbon. Burning arousal bloomed from his groin. Every nerve ending was screaming for him to release his carnal tension with Ayame. He felt Ayame unbuttoning his shirt, the soft clicking echoing in his ears and he did nothing to stop her as she tugged his school dress shirt out of his dress pants. Soon his shirt was free and hung loosely around his body. _Dio mio._ What was she doing next? Ayame shuffled further down the bed and started pressing harder kisses along his chest, sinewing down to his stomach, around his navel. Her small wet tongue dipped into the shallow crevices of his abdominal muscles was driving him insane. Finger-light touches along the underside of his ribs sent his soul into embers. Takumi screwed his eyes shut.

"Urghhhhnnngg…" he groaned loudly and hissed.

His skin was so sensitive to her. _Too sensitive._ Every lick, every scrape, every kiss. It was all branded into him. The muscles in his upper arm ached from holding himself up. He'd been holding back for too long, that finally one of his chains broke. Takumi flipped themselves over and pulled Ayame onto his lap until she straddled him. He made quick work of her red school bow tie and white blouse, tugging them apart until her snow white brassiere was exposed. Ayame yelped cutely as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed her flush against him. He bestowed biting kisses on the tops of her ample breasts listening to her moans scaling up and falling from her lips. Ayame shifted, so her legs wrapped around his waist and pushed herself onto his growing bulge.

" _Aaaarrgghh... Cazzo!"_ He winced at the sudden pressure grounded onto his crotch.

 _"I can't stand the thought of another guy wanting to be with you…"_ he hissed.

Only their heavy breathing filled the room. He was too embarrassed to look at Ayame in the eyes, instead he tightened his grip to show how much he coveted her. He was being too childish and petulant but he didn't care. She _had_ to know this.

"I _o-only want you_. So you needn't worry about anyone else" she whispered into his ear. She took his earlobe into his mouth, making his eyes roll back into his head. It felt really good and her warm breath puffing into his ear sent him spiralling.

"You have no idea what you do to me, _amore._ More than words could describe…" he gasped hotly. The heat was getting into his head and washing him over with emerging lust. "I will give _all_ of myself to you… You know that right?" He looked up at her, boring his eyes into her.

" _As I will do the same for you"_ she smiled gently at him, returning his exact sentiment.

With renewed and incensed passion, Takumi capsized the both of them again before a single sound could escape her mouth and he was on top. He ravished her lips, bruising them without meaning to as he hitched her thighs up over the notch in his waist. Takumi grounded his hips into her apex, rotating against that bundle of nerves that made Ayame wince with passion, letting her know exactly how far he was more than willing to go to show how much he loved her. She scraped across his back, finally scratching at his dress shirt and tossing it to the side. Takumi was relieved to feel the cooler air biting his bare skin. He reached behind her and tried to undo her brassiere, but it was tougher work than he expected, causing him to curse in _Italian_. Ayame giggled making him more embarrassed than he already was. Finally he succeeded and flung it across the bed. He lifted himself off and marveled at the perfect and beautiful body his beloved girlfriend possessed. Ayame suddenly turned very red and attempted to cover herself up from him but he gently took her hands in his and moved them away. She wasn't so embarrassed in the beginning, but it was a nice change to see her flustered instead of him.

" _Don't. You're so beautiful"_ he said.

He dipped down and took a pert nipple into his mouth, sucking gently before she could protest. Ayame cried out and held onto the back of his neck pressing him closer to her. He circled his tongue around, feeling it pebble in his mouth. He brought his other hand up and massaged her other breast. It was soft and smooth in his palm, the perfect size. He felt himself harden further as he continued to indulge himself in her soft and warm bosom. Soon Ayame was a crying mess and he looked up, piercing her with his eyes, watching her face transform between ecstasy and euphoria with tears of pleasure dotting the corners of her eyes. Takumi released her swollen nipple with a wet 'pop' and meandered down further, kissing the underside of her breast, keen to bring Ayame to newer heights. He leaned back onto his haunches and pulled the back of her thighs towards him. Ayame groaned when the colder air brushed past her chest, causing her nipples to swell again and Takumi bit the inside of his cheeks to stop him from diving back to lather them in the attention they deserved. Takumi unzipped her skirt and carefully lifted her legs out from them, one by one and threw it to the side. Takumi gulped and mustered the confidence to go that one step further to send her to the heavens. He experimentally pressed his thumb against her clothed sex and watched with raptured awe as Ayame immediately arched her back in a silent scream. He was utterly mesmerised, the way she lifted the small of her back off the bed. She writhed before him and gripped his pillow until her knuckles turned white.

He shifted so that he floated over her again, feeling her breath ghosting invitingly over his skin which erupted in goosebumps. He took her chin into his fingers with his free hand and gently coaxed her to face him. Her eyes were clouded with yearning and her eyelids drooped with mindless desire.

 _"Does it feel good, mi amore?"_

She nodded weakly with a husky hum. Takumi rubbed her clothed bundle of nerves in circles, increasing the pressure a bit as he went. Her eyes fluttered closed and she moaned long and hard. She clamped onto her lower lip and Takumi peppered kisses across her face, feeling and listening to everything she was doing under his ministrations. When he was sure Ayame was completely enraptured, he deftly slipped a finger past the edge of her undergarments and slowly inserted a finger into her with the aims of making her feel even better. Ayame's eyes instantly flew open.

 _"AH!"_

Takumi quickly caught her lips into his own and swallowed her moan. He couldn't stand another moment if she nibbled on her lower lip again. She was wet and hot. His arousal heightened significantly from her moist and slick walls making him throb ever so painfully. But not yet… _not yet_ … his needs will come only _after_ Ayame's. _Dio mio._ He could barely handle himself right now. He started to slowly pump his fingers, adding another digit into her tight wet folds.

"Ah…! Takumi-kun… Nnnnggghhh…!" Ayame gripped him to death, her nails digging into his back. Takumi groaned next to her ear, captivated by the intense heat surrounding his fingers and her soft walls contracting around them. Ayame began rolling her hips into his fingers instrinctively, already seeking her own way to push her off the edge. She bucked and mewled sharply whenever he moved his long fingers in a certain manner which he concluded with the most basic part of his brain was her most sensitive spot that made her see stars. Takumi couldn't let her finish like that. He pushed down her hips with his free hand to halt her movements.

Then he _curled_ his fingers.

" _Oh god…! Yes…! O-Oh…!"_ she shrieked. She shuddered around him and Takumi stifled his own groan onto her shoulder. It was like his throbbing member was feeling exactly what his fingers were feeling. So close…! Yet so far. Ayame fell back onto the pillow, her face flushed all the way down to her chest. She panted deeply, catching her breath, her head turned the other way. Takumi placed soft kisses along her jawline watching her face freeze into stunned bliss from the after effects of the high he was honoured to bring to her.

Ayame was breath-taking. He slowly withdrew his finger from her and examined the milky and yet slightly clear fluids coating his digits. He ventured a small lick at the back of his fingers to sample her substance.

 _'Molto dolce…'_

She tasted nothing like he'd ever known. So exquisite and so unique. If this was what her love tasted like, he was glad she had chosen him. It made his soul sing. The threshold of his palate for her taste rose. It was an addiction he wasn't willing to lose himself him just yet… _Not yet…_ He wiped the remaining traces on the bedsheets brought her face to his. He wasn't finished yet, not by a long shot. He had so much more to give her. Takumi caressed her jaw and kissed her. He tilted her chin, making her open her mouth wider for him and he engaged her tongue with his in another sweet dance, letting her taste herself too. He slid his knees up and hunched his back, so as not to put weight onto her body. He threaded his finger into her hair and rubbed her—

 _He ripped his lips from her with a loud cry._

He could feel _it…!_ He could feel _her…!_ She was all over _him… her hand…!_

His muscles spasmed violently. He felt every one of her fingers caressing along his hard length up and down… _up and down_ … He caught the headboard before he crashed on top of her and bowed his head with raspy gasps and hisses. His amorous side was focused so completely, and yet somehow this small detail of her hands slipping between their bodies and finding its way south caught him completely off guard. His body trembled in excruciating ecstasy. He sealed his eyes closed as he concentrated on the sinful sensation between his legs. Ayame tensed her fingers around him more securely and began to pump him through his dress-pants. He felt himself twitch excitedly and sweat poured from his forehead and neck. He chanced a glance down through slitted eyes. Ayame had the most embarrased and brave expression. Her lips were parted, panting in the save rhythm as her pumps. She looked incredibly nervous as she stared at his groin, her hands clumsily massaging his enlarged buldged.

 _She looked so erotic._

" _A-Ayame…"_ he crooned.

"I-It's not fair th-that… uh… ummm that-that you don't g-get any… uh… any…" he voice trailed off. Her hold on him grew shakier and Takumi was blown away by the fact that she wanted to pleasure him also. He bent down and kissed her with all he had. He reached down and placed his larger hands over hers. He gently guided her into palpating his pulsing member through his dress-pants in just the right way. He gazed at her and her face grew redder and her green eyes continued to fixate on where their hands were joined together, pumping him in tempo.

"Ngghh…" he sighed. He forced her hands to slow down otherwise he would finish too soon. He didn't want to finish without her.

Somewhere in the more rational portion of his mental faculties, he knew that from here on would be the point of no return.

"Ayame… _I love you so much._ Tell me to stop… if you d-don't want this. You must…" he said through gritted teeth. He held the back of her neck, pressing his forehead against her, a hairs'-breadth away from her swollen, red lips. "Because once we continue, there will be no w-way I could h-hold myself back from you…" He waited desperately for her answer, craving to hear her words.

" _I could never ask you to stop"_

She squeezed him for good measure.

He bit his tongue. As soon as those nectar-like words graced his ears, Takumi took action. He growled and released her hand from his groin. He roughly unzipped his dress-pants, leaving him in his boxers. He grounded his hips against her feeling the wetness build form her again. He was adament to let her know what she was getting herself into and she best be ready, because was hell-bent on bringing her the ultimate gratification he could give. He continued to thrust against her clothed bundle of hyper-sensitive nerves and bestowed her severe kisses that told stories of his desire for her. Takumi hooked his finger around the band of her undergarments and slowly tugged it from her hips. Ayame purred as she wriggled her behind to ease it off as well and Takumi dropped it by the side of the bed. Takumi caressed her bare pelvis with the pad of his thumb, her smooth and creamy skin exciting him further. Next he hooked his fingers beneath the bands of his boxers and freed his throbbing member from the chafing strain and flung it to the floor. Both were finally in their naked and pure form, for each other. Ayame gasped as she stared his full erection. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with one of her hands in shock and apprehension. It must've looked too large for her, otherwise she wouldn't look so anxious.

Takumi peppered butterfly kisses against her cheeks, trying to distract her and whispered _Italian_ reassurances to her. Soon her eyes fluttered and she sighed as he cradled her hips against his. He delicately rubbed his member against the side of her inner thigh and lowered himself closer to her form. She jolted from between his arms and whimpered when he gently and eagerly rubbed his tip against her wet slit. _Cazzo…!_ He could feel pre-cum leaking out already as he coated himself with her delectable nectar from her weeping core. He shackled his urge to just take her then and there and make complete and utter love to her until the sun rose.

"Mmmm…" she moaned and slightly lifted her hips, trying to take more of his tip within her tight channel, but suddenly shied away when Takumi instantly met with a barrier from within. There was no other way around this.

"It will hurt for a bit… but I promise you, it will go away and you will feel good" he said, kissing each of her eyelids.

She nodded clumsily.

"Bite my shoulder if you have to"

"Wh—AAHHH!"

Takumi surged into her with one swift stroke, straight to the hilt completely. A loud throaty groan escaped from him at the sharp pang in his shoulders created by Ayame's teeth. She was mind-numbingly tight! He forced himself to still immediately, not wanting to force her into any further pain. He didn't care if he was bleeding from his shoulder as long as it did something for Ayame to tolerate that tear he caused inside her. He knew it had to be done swiftly for the pain to be over faster. She released his bleeding flesh and gasped. Her walls tightened from his intrusion and he released a guttural gasp at the tightness. He could only feel the _hot, wet, slick_ walls surrounding his pulsating and turgid member. The pleasure was so intense it was painful! Ayame's breathing was sharp and erratic as she tried to accustom herself to his girth.

"… _T-Tell me when it's a-alright"_ he whispered heatedly into her ear. Ayame continued to whimper and sob slightly before her breathing became steadier and Takumi had to chew the inside of his mouth to control the overwhelming drive to repeatedly take his beloved, over and over on his bed. When her breathing evened considerably, she shifted her hips curiously making him clench his jaw tightly and bulge the corded tendons in his neck. Sweat dripped from his forehead onto the pillow. The next roll of her hips made him swallow thickly and groan loudly as he shook from his exertion.

"T-Takumi-kun. _Please…!"_

That was all he needed to hear.

The blonde Italian re-positioned himself and withdrew from her. Her tight walls clung onto him, as if trying to suck him back in with immeasurable force making him groan hoarsely. Ayame moaned loudly. When he was fully out, he slowly thrusted back in, feeling her muscles resisting his intrusion, but slowly yielding to him again. She bit into his shoulder again and sobbed softly, but he had to do this, this was the only way to start building the pleasure for her. He withdrew again-

 _Then he slammed back into her._

"AAAaaah..!" Ayame's shrill cry was wrenched from her throat in as she clasped her legs around his hips, absolute abandon and exhaltation lacing her erotic voice.

Takumi growled loudly at the rippling of her muscles around his impossibly hard length. Their bodies rocked together with such strong movements that the bedframe creaked with each of his strokes. Takumi lifted himself up and brushed her hair from her face. He wanted to look deeply into his eyes as he made love to her. He saw lust, desire _and love_ behind those hooded, dark green eyes as they stared deeply back into him. She was seeing his soul and he was seeing hers. Those eyes were for him. She panted and crooned sweetly with wanton need, her lips still swollen and slightly bruised but he continued kiss her senselessly and thust into her in a constant, slow, but even rhythm.

She was so _beautiful. She was so his...!_

Takumi quickly hooked her legs over his elbows as he spread her wider. Ayame squelled with the sudden change in position as he bent over her form, filling her more with this new angle. He snapped his hips forward, grunting loudly as he did so, trying to reach and take advantage of that spot to bring her to the greatest of pleasures, at the same time relishing in those sinful bursts cascading up and down his spine. His strong languid strokes elicited amorous cries from her, echoing around his bedroom.

" _Ayame…"_ he groaned darkly.

" _Nggghhh!... T-Takumi-kun…!"_ she mewled desperately.

The friction was unbelievable and the pleasure was intense! It shot his nerve endings into fireworks. He watched her through his own half-lidded eyes, as she flailed beneath him and cried out so sweetly and he craved it. His current slow and deep strokes were fast becoming too torturous and so he quickened his pace even more until he was pounding his beloved harder, faster and deeper with more vigour than before. Suddenly her rhythm faltered as she could no longer keep up with him. Her breathing become more turbulent and her cries grew more frantic. Her hot sheath started clenching around him even tighter and that was when he was sure she was starting to reach her blessed peak. He lifted her hips higher at a steeper angle, penetrating her deeper than ever before.

" _Oh god…! T-Takumi-kun!"_ she cried hoarsely.

Takumi could hardly breathe. Suddenly he could feel his own release building violently in the knotting muscles of his groin. He could feel Ayame's release drawing in closer for her too. Her muscles began clamping down on him relentlessly forcing him to abandon his rhythm and just slam into her with all his strength, his engorged tip hitting against the end of her channel, and over, _and over, and over!_ He dragged his lips over hers again and kissed her as deeply as he could to the point their teeth clashed. He tangle her arms with his, pinning her to the bed with the force of his weight. He swallowed all her screams whilst she stabbed her nails into his hands and her thighs quivered harshly around him. The slick slapping of their sweaty flesh echoed around the room.

He was getting severely light headed.

' _Cazzo! I'm reaching my end...!'_

Takumi released her lips and snapped his head backwards. He grounded himself one last time into her, hilting himself completely.

" _Nggghhh..! AHHHHH!..._ _TAKUMI!_ " Ayame convulsed violently around him and her muscles clamped down painfully. Her body shook as her first orgasm ripped through her, riding the crest with her eyes tightly closed with tears lining her lashes and her lips poised in her scream. Breathy moans and sobs escaped her lips. Takumi crashed his lips onto the junction of her neck and shoulder. His teeth found purchase on her hot and sweaty skin as he bit into her supple flesh, making her yelp again. His length spasmed savagely.

" _Cazzo! Ayame!"_

His release came forth like a surging avalanche. Blinding light invaded his vision as he cried Ayame's name loudly. Viscous liquid burst from him, hot and thick, emptying himself into his _amore_. Ayame shuddered as she tightened her thigh around him, arching off the bed again slightly. He could feel the liquid warmth of his essence and her essence mix and swirl within her.

Takumi collapsed to the side rolling her with him. He was completely spent and Ayame was the same as he could see her struggle to keep her eyes open and her chest heaved from the intensity of their love making. Takumi refused to pull out and remained joined to her. He felt if he left her, they wouldn't be as close anymore and he would miss her too much. She made no attempt to shift his softening length away from her either, which he was glad of. He wanted to preserve this special moment with his _amante_. Takumi cuddled her into his chest and pressed deep kisses into her slender neck and shoulders. Ayame wriggled her arms free and cupped his face and placed a loving kiss on his lips, smiling at him so endearingly. They were completely exhausted, basking in the afterglow of their bout of passion.

Their hearts began to slow down, beating as one.

* * *

 **Haaaaaa... Takumi and Ayame... They're all grown up! Writing a lemon in Takumi's perspective was... strange to me... I'm a girl so, putting myself in a guy's shoes during sex is pretty damn challenging. We've seen Takumi mature in his relationship with Ayame and had taken steps with her in exploring their blooming sexuality as teenagers throughout the story. So, I hope he didn't come out too OOC in this lemon.**

 **I gave Kurokiba the title of** _ **Cerberus of Tootsuki**_ **:) It sounded more dramatic and badass than 'Mad Dog' and I thought it added more to his prowess.**

 **If you guys don't remember Saitou Izumo, refer back to chapter 8 as Ayame mentions him briefly to Takumi :)**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you soon in the next battle of Decadent Desserts!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	29. Reshuffle: Ryou vs Isami part 1

**Good evening my koalas!**

 **My poll for choosing your favourite OC characters (Ayame, Chizuru and Kuchiyose) in this story is still up on my profile :D Swing by and have a vote and see what others have picked!**

 **As you know, this time it's another shokugeki for the Elite Ten Reshuffle competition, so get ready for some foodie goodness!**

 **On with the show!**

* * *

 _Chapter 29 – Elite Ten Reshuffle Competition: Ryou vs. Isami part 1_

* * *

Today was the day.

Isami had triple checked all the ingredients he needed for this match twenty minutes beforehand and he was extremely satisfied with its quality. The brunette Italian had gone to great lengths to ensure everything was ready. He even bought a new sharpening stone and sharpened his tools especially for this match. Isami rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm as he sat in the waiting room. He couldn't stop jigging his knees up and down as he sat on the hard and cold sofa, anxiously waiting for President Kageura's new assistant Hiroka Sekito-san to come and fetch himself and Kurokiba-kun to bring to the stadium entry. What he remembered from _Fratello_ was that he and Kurokiba-kun had to be in the contestant waiting room at least thirty minutes beforehand and someone will come and retrieve him. Next he would be brought to the entry under the bleachers and wait for his and Kurokiba-kun's name to be called out and walk to the assigned kitchen stations on the stadium.

Isami clenched and unclenched his stomach to ease the butterflies shooting around inside.

Speaking of _Fratello_ …

The young, brunette Italian had come home last night to the greatest shock of his existence. The first thing he had seen was Ayame-chan's and _Fratello's_ school bags abandoned by the sofa and a mess of uneaten snacks on the table. So far… it wasn't too unusual or caused the greatest shock, but definitely had warranted a questioning raise of the eyebrows. The next thing he had seen was _Fratello's_ bedroom door wide open on his way to his own room. _Fratello_ had a childhood habit of closing his door when not in use… so… this was fast becoming intriguing. Then the last thing he to had graced his vision made his jaw drop.

 _Fratello_ and Ayame-chan… fast asleep… under the sheets… their clothes discarded on the floor…

HE WOULD REMEMBER THAT AFTERNOON UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED.

FRATELLO AND AYAME HAD DONE THE DEED.

Isami couldn't contain himself when he scuttled back to his bedroom. He had buried his face in his pillow and laughed, and laughed, and laughed like a crazy person! For _Fratello_ and Ayame to take that giant leap into their relationship was something Isami had always dreamed of! Whenever he saw _Fratello_ was anywhere near Ayame-chan and Isami, he could almost swim around in the sweet romantic love they had for each other because it came out in waves. He had never seen any other couple, aside from himself and his Bianca, which looked so happy together, so perfect for each other, so _destined_ to be with one another. He remembered giving out a fist pump and chanting _'Sìì!_ _Sìì!_ _Sìì!_ _Sìì!_ _Sìì!_ _Sìì!_ ' under his breath and danced in his bedroom just one room away from the sleeping couple. The younger Italian had only wished the best for his elder twin and to be happy and he was always over the moon with Ayame-chan. So it was perfect that those two dorky and clumsy _tortore_ had taken that brave new step in their relationship _._ Isami had been in a fantastic mood that afternoon. He couldn't stop humming. Thankfully, _Fratello_ and Ayame-chan were deep sleepers and he had just closed their bedroom door with a soft click.

Isami had a choice. He could have incessantly tease them both when they woke up, good naturedly of course, and watch their faces ripen like raspberries. Or he could have preserved their privacy and dignity, and speak not a word of it, and take the secret of seeing them together with him to his grave.

It was a tough decision.

But he had made his decision that night. He made a delicious dinner for the three of them, all set out and ready when they finally woke up in the evening just like an ordinary dinner they shared. _Fratello_ was this time wearing his usual home clothes and Ayame donned _Fratello's_ baggy jumper and track-pants. They both still had looked still sleepy and they had even both yawned at the same time and rubbed the sleep in their eyes at the same time. When they had spotted him, they had begun to sober up, but not fast enough as they both had looked utterly confused like they were rousing from sleep walking. Isami remembered grinning at them from ear to ear until his face hurt, thinking it was an incredibly joyous occasion and he remembered feeling tears of happiness for _Fratello_ and Ayame-chan threatening to spill! He was excited. Isami had pulled out the pizza he had made and left to warm from in the oven. In little slices of olives, he wrote-

' _Congratulations and Welcome to the Family, Ayame!'_

-and they both promptly fainted.

Isami chuckled under his breath at the memory, putting aside the nerves he felt for today's match.

"What's so funny…" Kurokiba-kun inquired blandly from the other sofa.

"N-Nothing… I just remembered something wonderful" he said.

Kurokiba-kun blinked slowly before resuming his attention on the large television screen mounted on the wall in front of them. It depicted four separate screens for different view of the _Shokugeki_ hall. One screen was for the judging panel, two for the two kitchen stations and the other for the emcee of the day. Isami listened intently as the emcee reintroduced the judges from yesterday. Uchiha Sasuke, the CEO of Igakono Senbei corp. Uzumaki Naruto, the CEO of TopRamen Limited. Finally Doctor Haruno Sakura, Chinese medicine specialist and tenure professor of Tokyo University. The thought of them trying out his food made him queasy again. They were such… he couldn't explain it… 'gods' in the commercial food world! Also doctor Haruno, it was such an honour to be in her presence. He'd heard so much about her achievements from Arato-san, whom she clearly idolised, and he couldn't believe she was here to taste-test too.

Suddenly, the door knob twisted with a small rattle, and the plump and jovial face of Hiroka Sekito-san came into view. He was really bald and jolly like a Japanese Santa Claus. He smiled widely and patted his stomach as he greeted both himself and Kurokiba-kun.

"Are you kids ready to go?" his low and bellowing voice boomed.

"Yes!" Isami got to his feet and picked up his knife case with gusto.

" _Ousu"_ Kurokiba-kun got up in one swift motion.

He picked up his knife case also and swung it over his shoulders like it was a sack of potatos and stuffed his other hand in his pocket. His face was still deadpanned, but Isami could still see there was a fire sparking in his coal black eyes. Hiroka Sekito-san lead them out into the wide corridor under the bleachers. Isami could already here the muffled, but deafening cheers of the whole school getting closer and closer. It vibrated in his chest and made his breath feel shallow. He tightened his grip on his knife case. He worked _so hard_ to get to where he was now. It was time to show the school that he wasn't the same shadow of _Fratello_ anymore. That he was good enough to stand equal with even the best of them.

" _The contestants for today is Kurokiba Ryou and Isami Aldini!"_

Soon the dimness of the tunnel erupted into bright stadium lights and Isami's ears pounded with the whooping and cheering all around him. With guised confidence he strode straight up to his assigned kitchen station. He placed down his knife case right next to his crate of ingredients and took a deep breath.

He listened to his heart.

 _Thu-thump… thu-thump… thu-thump… thu-thump…_

He watched as Kurokiba-kun took strong and purposeful strides to his area. The bandana on his wrist swaying with each stride. He turned around and looked at Isami straight in the eyes.

They didn't blink.

Then he turned back to the front.

Isami turned around and looked straight up into the private viewing box accommodated by only the competition's contestants. He saw _Fratello,_ Megumi-san, Yukihira-kun, the Nakiri cousins, Arato-san, Hayama-san, Isshiki-senpai and finally Mimasaka. The other Elite Ten probably deigned it not worth their time to watch the first round, but that didn't matter. His friend's believed in him, especially his elder twin. He didn't want to disappoint. He didn't want to disappoint _himself._ He turned back around and refocused. In front of him were the three esteemed judges. He was seeing them up close for the first time and their magnitude was immense. They had tasted both Megumi-san's and Hayama-san's dishes yesterday and had awarded them very high scores. They clearly have raised the bar for the rest of the competition and Isami geared himself up. Their eyes were probing and anticipating, waiting to be shown a dish no less great than yesterday's.

 _Thu-thump… thu-thump… thu-thump… thu-thump…_

" _The theme today is_ _ **Decadent Desserts.**_ _You may begin cooking… NOW!"_

The gong rang.

' _SAVOIA!'_

* * *

As the piercing buzzer sliced through the air, Ryou went to work immediately, like a dog commanded by the whistle. His time spent in Mi'lady's private kitchen consisted of hours and hours of slaving away to mastering his skills. His berserk mode in cooking knew no limits and Ryou continued to taste blood as he cooked dish after dish after dish, his mind clouded by a haze of fire as his passion for cooking exploded within him in the confines of Mi'lady's clubroom.

 _That unmistakeble sense of absolute chaos and battle._

People whispered his title whenever they passed him in the corridors, the heard of bleating Tootsuki sheep splitting around him like he was the Biblical Messiah Moses, parting the Red Sea. Their eyes would avert from his body as he would calmly walk to wherever he needed to go. Their annoying voices would hush until they sounded like conspirators. He heard them all with his keen hearing. Every single word. Nothing escaped him. He could smell it all. That fear for him. Pure and unadulterated fear. He loved it. Craved it. They shouldn't be anything but fearful and intimidated by his cooking prowess. He was far from being the Messiah like that Golden-Boy Yukihira Souma. They saw him as the Guardian of Hell.

 _The Cerberus of Tootsuki._

He never cared for the nickname everyone thrusted on him. But in this case, it was quite fitting, he indeed had two split personalities. The 'Berserk' and the 'Container'. The 'Container' was what he was now and every other day, as he quickly and silently organised his ingredients and equipment onto the counter top. The deadbeat looking, slow and lackadaisical self. Ah… Mi'lady will be disappointed if he didn't get cracking and start going berserk today. She wanted a good show.

He was sorry to disappoint her.

As _The Cerberus of Tootsuki_ supposedly had to have three heads or three split personalities… well he did… only… not even Mi'lady Alice had ever seen his third personality. He kept it locked and hidden away only for the most opportune moment. She would today though. He hoped she wouldn't go into berserk mode herself if she was disappointed in it. Then again… did he give a damn? _Not at all._

For this match, he did not require his 'beserk mode', no matter how much it snapped, snarled and goaded him to unleash it. Venomous saliva dripped within his mind as the berserk beast of himself clawed around its mental cage. As long it was tethered by the wrist, it couldn't dominate him. But this time, he had trained hard enough that he could contain it just a bit more, even when the tether was removed. This was what this moment was for.

His third personality.

Once Ryou decided he had prepared everything before the actual dessert making, he sighed like it was a total chore. He tugged his bandana off from his wrist with a sharp snap and fluttering fabric, and tied it securely over his head. He heard the unmistakable sound of the audience sucking in their breaths as they anticipated his most famous personality. Before the berserk beast could bound out from within, he locked it in place surround by many mental pylons and thick iron chains. He could feel it lashing out, fighting against him, growling menacingly and snapping his maw in absolute spitting defiance and frenzy.

He internalised his berserk mode and let it churn from within, searing his insides.

 _This was a dessert competition. It had no place for the berserk beast. So he had released a third personality._

The _Cerberus of Tootsuki_ snapped his eyes open, his pupils dilated and constricted with abandoned restraint.

' _Come forth… Andhrímnir mode!'_

* * *

Alice leaned closer to the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Ohhh… so that's why Ryou-kun wouldn't let her near her own clubroom for the last few weeks. What a sneaky dog. He was practicing taming another side of him. Alice had her suspicions that something fishy was going on with Ryou-kun and she was glad that she was right. She watched as his body tensed and his muscles rippled as he began tackling his dessert recipe. The whole stadium eyes were on him. They had never seen anything like it. It was like he was holding himself back from going berserk, at the same time it looked like he was letting it seep through enough to get the job done with a palpable sense of bloodlust.

"What an odd thing to do…" she murmured excitedly.

"There is something off with Kurokiba-kun…" squeaked Tadokoro.

"Yeah, he ain't trying to violently kill his ingredients this time. What's up with that?" Yukihira contributed.

"You guys don't understand anything at all…" Alice sighed exaggeratedly. She shook her head in mock disappointment and placed her hand on her chest in mock hurt. All eyes turned to her, blinking up at her and looking for an explanation. She smirked and cleared her throat.

"See here, desserts is a very delicate business. Ryou can't just start going bestial on this theme here where all elements for his dish require absolute precision, pin-point accuracy, the delicate touch and meticulous care to produce the perfect _**decadent dessert**_ " said Alice.

"Delicate touch? That's not something you hear every day regarding Kurokiba-san" said Aldini-kun.

"No you don't, and that's what makes him ever the more formidable and dangerous" she laughed lowly. "Everybody loves an act of absolute abandon and thrill in murdering and killing from those massacre movies, the murderer reigned by madness. But nothing comes close to as scary as a murderer in control of his own mind…" whispered Alice on the glass. Right now, Ryou-kun was not the berserk beast… he was something more.

She returned her attention to her trusty aide in his kitchen station. After one of his practices in her clubroom kitchen, she had went off to see if he was still there. The doors were closed, so she had thought he was still busy. So when she had pressed her ears to the door, listening the sounds of cooking, there were none. To her surprise the door opened easily when she pushed it, and she had realised that he was no longer in the kitchen. She had remembered feeling peeved because she explicitly ordered him to stay there and she would meet him, but he had gone and disobeyed her and left somewhere. She was close to smacking him on the head so as this behaviour didn't become a habit. When she had walked around her clubroom kitchens, making sure he had put her kitchen appliances were clean and put away properly, she had spotted something on one of the benches.

It was his recipe.

Alice had not remembered seeing so many things crammed onto four sheets of paper. 'Ryou-kun actually wrote down the recipe he was going to use for his theme?!' was the first thing she had thought. That was a bit creepy in her opinion because Ryou-kun's command of the Japanese written language needed a lot to be desired, mainly due to laziness. She was the one who had to edit one of his assignments from Shiomi-sensei this year because his writing skills were _appalling_. But the recipe that was in Ryou-kun's handwriting was absolutely detailed and on-point! It was like another person had forged Ryou-kun's handwriting and written out an _incredibly complex_ dessert recipe that was so precisely thought out, it put her own to shame. Every element was explained and instructed in detail. It was nothing like what Ryou-kun would ever write in any recipe assignment. He must have worked extremely hard today to force himself to write something like this. Alice had memorised all four pages as best as she could and placed it back on the bench for Ryou-kun to figure out he had forgotten it and find it on his own time. Whatever personality he was he had developed in that very kitchen wouldn't have appreciated her taking his recipe without permission.

' _Eight- textured chocolate cake'_

That was what he was making for today's match. The name itself already had decadence filling her mouth and when she was skimming the recipe itself. When she imagined the taste in her mouth, it was so hardcore that she should have recommended him to serve it with a side of insulin! Chocolate was the equivalent of the culinary S&M and Alice thought this dessert recipe from Ryou-kun was going to drown those judges in chocolate sex. Alice watched closely, ignoring the other Aldini completely. Right now, Ryou-kun was a hell of a lot more interesting.

She followed his intense movements as she recited the recipe in her mind so she could track where he was up to. As far as she could tell, the end result would include eight layers and the order of his recipe actually had the layers expertly jumbled to suit the flow of his cooking.

Ryou-kun started with **layer two**. _The chocolate mousse layer._ Alice watched, mesmerised as he whipped the cream at break-neck speed until it was perfectly soft peak. Next he made his _sabayon_ of egg yolks, half his sugar and the vanilla seeds, cooked over a double boiler whilst whisking continuously with a manic grin. _Saboyan_ was an Italian based dessert. From up here, she could see how glossy his _saboyan_ was before he removed it from the stove. He carefully poured his melted chocolate into his _saboyan_ like a thick river of brown goodness and whisked it as fast as possible, channelling his inner berserk. She watched as glee shone through his eyes, but his face remained utterly calm and concentrated. She wondered what he called this new personality of his. Before the chocolate could seize, Ryou-kun spooned in half of his whipped cream, one by one, and continued to whisk until it softened under his intense ministrations. His mixture should become more stable and workable now according to his recipe sheets. Next he snapped his attention to his egg whites and whisked them vigorously until they were perfect soft peaks too, then dumped in his remaining sugar. Finally he folded his whipped egg whites and remaining cream into his chocolate mixture delicately and quickly, as to not knock out the air. The chocolate mousse in Alice's opinion was going to be the most important layer to hold the body of the cake. It _must_ be perfectly done and be on-point and he had to have a fast and delicate hand, something the berserk beast would have struggled with. She had no doubt that Ryou-kun could make it happen either way. He placed it into the fridge to let it set and slammed the fridge door closed.

This was _so_ exciting.

He quickly moved onto **layer four.** The caramel, vanilla and chocolate _ganache_. He began making his caramel and Alice could see through the large stadium television screen that the sugar transformed into a honey golden caramel colour. He slowly poured some cream with such controlled care and she internally hummed in delight at the dramatic chemical reaction of the caramel and cream bubbling dominated the screen. Those chemical reactions never failed to turn her on. Ryou-kun then grabbed a wooden spoon without looking and stirred the saucepan until the reaction settled and the caramel dissolved into heavenly cream and then he added his vanilla beans. He took it off the heat and poured over another bowl of chopped dark and milk Swiss chocolate and Alice licked her lips as the chocolates hopelessly melted under the unyielding waterfall of hot caramel cream into glistening puddles in the bowl. He stirred the bowl slowly until it was fully incorporated and then added a pinch of salt and softened butter. When Alice knew the _ganache_ had cooled completely, she smiled as she watched Ryou-kun spoon it into a piping bag.

"… _Andhrímnir mode"_

"What was that, Alice?" said Erina by her side.

"It's something I remembered from a storybook I bought for Ryou-kun a really long time ago back in _Danmark_. It was about Norse mythology. I found it sitting on his desk in his sleepy quarters yesterday. I haven't seen that book in years. There was a God in there called _Andhrímnir._ He was the chef of the gods in Norse mythology. He killed a mighty boar named _Sæhrímnir_ , cooked it, and fed it to the gods and fallen warriors of _Valhalla._ At night the boar would return to life and he would kill it again and cook it. This way, the gods and fallen warriors would eat well until _Ragnarok"_ said Alice, smiling at Erina.

"… okay…?" Erina looked at her dubiously.

"Well, I think this is what I should call Ryou-kun's new mode! _Andhrímnir mode._ It suits him well. The simmering intensity is like the strength of the god as he repeatedly conquered the boar over and over without batting an eyelash. This is akin to how Ryou-kun's _Andhrímnir mode_ is born in my opinion. He had to conquer his berserk mode over and over again like that mighty boar, to harness his chaotic strength fully to complete even the most delicate of tasks" said Alice.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Erina nod.

Ryou-kun was well on his way into **layer five** now. The chocolate and hazelnut _dacquoise_. _Dacquoise_ was traditionally a dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream. However his recipe involved his own modified version. He combined the ground almonds, finely chopped roasted hazelnuts and sifted cocoa powder in a separate bowl and then in a spate bowl, whisked some egg whites and sugar until they formed stiff peaks. He delicately folded his dry ingredients into the egg whites with strong and controlled movements. She could imagine his nostril flaring and his eyes brimming with intense concentration. Then he quickly sprayed a baking tray and spread his mixture over it with a pallete knife, which Alice remembered the _dacquoise_ layer had to be at precisely three millimetre thickness. He only baked it for five minutes before taking it out and cut-out three small discs from the _dacquoise_ sheet. He placed it all back into the oven which Alice knew would come out crispy after two minutes. Once it was done, Alice could see on the screen that it was toasted beautifully and the colour was perfectly even. Ryou-kun placed it to the side and moved onto his next layer.

A whistled punctured her ear.

"Crikey, Kurokiba is powering through a lot of small but complex tasks isn't he?" said Yukihira. "I'm really pumped to see what decadent dessert he's coming up with"

"Well, it's an eight-texture chocolate cake, so expect the very best" she smirked and flipped her silver side lock elegantly.

"Wh-What!? Eight textures?" spluttered the Aldini-kun.

Alice laughed at his stunned face.

"You mean there's going to be eight separate components he has to make to his cake in two hours?" he asked.

"Well, he's assembling seven layers actually" her eyed darkened into a blood-red ruby hue "The final _eighth_ layer will actually be performed when it's in front of the judges"

"P-Performed?" stuttered Tadokoro.

" _You'll see…"_ she left them hanging in the air as she refocused her attention on her aide. The _Cerberus of Tootsuki._

Ryou-kun had already moved onto his **layer one.** The sponge cake base. As he melted some more chocolate, he creamed the butter and sugar in the electric mixer until he was a beautiful pale yellow before gradually incorporating the eggs one at a time. When his melted chocolate was finally cool, he beated it into the butter mixture. Next he sifted the flour in and folded it without breaking a sweat, lightly and swiftly until it was perfectly blended through, brown and smooth. Next he spread the mixture with a pallete knife again to a thickness of three millimetres on an oiled baking tray, just like he wanted in the recipe and popped it into the oven. When it was perfectly baked, he then cut out small round disks of the cake base using a larger sized cutter compared as the one for the _dacquoise._

' _Ryou-kun… you continue to amaze me. Isami Aldini will choke on your dust. This is no competition for you'_

Next was **layer three.** The chocolate praline discs. He melted more chocolate over the double boiler and added the hazelnut and almond praline into it. He made a sheet of the mixture again but to two millimetre thickness this time. He placed it in the fridge, but took it out again after two minutes. Alice watched intently as he made circular cut-outs again in the semi-hard chocolate-praline mixture and cut out another smaller hole in each disc, making donut shaped chocolate-praline discs. He placed it back into the fridge to set. Right now the crowed was stunned at the miniature tasks Ryou was setting himself and watched with disbelief as components after components were building to the side or in the fridge. Most importantly, the crowd was shocked Ryou-kun wasn't in his berserk mode at all, just a shadow of it.

Now he was up to **layer six** according to Alice's memory of his recipe. The chocolate cream caramel. He made a fresh batch of the caramel cream just like in layer four. Once the bubbling settled he allowed it to cool slightly before he poured it over some more finely chopped chocolates and Alice sighed as she watched the chocolate melt. He placed it in the fridge immediately to let it cool completely.

Finally, **layer seven.** The dark chocolate top disc. Tempering chocolate was a tricky business and even the most experienced of chefs could still make it go horribly wrong. Everything had to be absolutely precise. Ryou-kun went about his way tempering the chocolate and spreading the glistening and shining melted chocolate out onto the tray. Alice's eyes lit up at how smooth it was. It had to be one and a half millimetre thick at the most. Ryou-kun was really going to have to test his ability to be delicate and gentle amidst all the internalised berserkness in him. She wouldn't be surprised if he threw up a diamond after all this from compacting and compressing his berserk beast into his hell fire which could be synonymous to thousands and thousands degree heat of fighting spirit. He placed it into the fridge for three minutes before taking it out again. This was so that it was half-hard. He made another three donut shaped disc just as he had done with the chocolate praline discs with the tempered chocolate. He made sure to wipe the cutters of stray chocolate between cuts. He placed another layer of baking paper on top of his tempered chocolate and then another backing tray on top to sandwich it. Alice knew this was to stop the chocolate from 'ballooning'. He then placed it all back into the fridge to set.

Next he started making a small pot of hot chocolate sauce.

' _Thirty minutes remaining!'_ blared the announcement.

Goodness! Time went so quickly.

Now that Ryou-kun had finished the cooking part, he had half an hour to assemble his eight-texture chocolate cake. She smirked. Well, the audience will see a seven-texture chocolate cake for the time being. Half an hour should be enough for Ryou-kun to successfully plate his decadent dessert. Imagining the steps to create this herself was nothing compared to watching Ryou-kun do it. The command he had as he swept through the crazy amount of steps like a silent storm was breath-taking. She was proud to say that she had lost to her well-chosen aide in the many cooking battles they shared.

Now time to assemble **.** Ryou-kun gently placed the chocolate sponge discs in the centre of three round white dish. Next he placed circular aluminium moulds around it. They were the exact same size he used to cut the sponge cake discs. This will hold his cake. Then he spreaded the chocolate mousse he made in the beginning over the bottom and up the sides to make the walls of the mould of his cake, to the rim. This was crucial, he had to do this quickly before the cold refrigerated mousse started to warm too much. Then, Ryou-kun placed the smaller chocolate and hazelnut _dacquoise_ disc into the centre of the chocolate mousse body and pressed it down _very_ gently.

Alice held her breath as he assembled his cake so meticulously, focus brimming through his dilated pupils on the television screen, but his berserk mode was fighting to break free from Ryou's _Andhrímnir mode_ and she could tell that from the flaring of his nostrils. Then he piped a thin layer of his caramel, vanilla and chocolate _ganache_ around the outer area of the praline disc in a perfect and even circle _._ His muscle tensed and relaxed as he did so, his muscles bulging to maintain control to delicately pipe the smooth _ganache_. Once he was done, he found his milk chocolate praline discs and carefully placed it on top of the _ganache_ circle and pressed it down gently again.

" _Ten more minutes!"_ screamed the emcee on top of her lungs.

Alice could see his nostrils flaring again and she could tell he was annoyed at that bint of an emcee, but maintained his absolute concentration. Then he whisked his reserved double cream to his chocolate caramel cream until stiff peaks formed. Next he place a large tablespoon of the chocolate caramel cream on top of the praline disc and used a palette knife to spread the cream out to form a flush layer against the top of the ring. Alice's excitement mounted higher as she watched Ryou-kun's decadent cake coming together. He grabbed a spoon and very carefully scooped a small spoonful of that caramel cream from that centre of each of his three small cakes and discarded it.

' _How dare he?! That was a waste!'_

Before Alice could further complain in her mind that he was wasting good dessert, The _Cerberus of Tootsuki_ brandished a kitchen blow torch.

"A blowtorch?! What does he plan to do with that? He ain't going to _flambe_ anything is he? Not that I can tell" said Yukihira. He pressed his face to the glass as he stared at Ryou-kun checking the potency of his kitchen blow torch.

"That's for the mould, Yukihira" Aldini-kun stepped forward. "It's a technique in order to remove the mould completely. He needs to heat it just enough to _expand_ the metal and not warm the mousse" said the blonde Italian. "That way, the cake will be perfectly in shape".

"Oh right. That's a really neat trick" he gave a toothy grin.

Alice smirked and returned her attention back to Ryou-kun. He began lightly swaying his blow torch around the side of the mould, the blue flames only kissing the metal surface as he quickly and evenly spun the white dishes in circles. Finally, after waiting a couple of seconds, he slid the circular moulds out with the meticulous care of a surgeon and Alice grinned when she saw the perfectly round, smooth and small cake. Finally, he topped each cake with the tempered dark chocolate discs, flush with the edge of the cake. For one last touch, he flashed the top of the chocolate with kitchen blowtorch to create a nice mirror-like sheen on top.

Ryou-kun then went back to his chocolate sauce just warming on the stove and poured it into a small copper saucepan with a lid and spoon. His eyes flamed with its own _decadence._

' _Done'_

Then the gong rang and it swallowed all other noises from the audience.

" _Times up! First to finish is Kurokiba Ryou! Please present your dish!"_

Alice straightened her back and flicked the hair out of her eyes. Pride oozed from her. Ryou-kun kept his bandana still around his forehead. He wasn't done yet. He was _truly_ done when he served his dessert to the judges. Alice turned her attention to them. Their facial expressions pretty much said 'bring it' as they looked straight at Ryou-kun and his own reflected back 'Get some!' as he breathed deeply, having accomplished a gigantic feat.

Alice reviewed the recipe again for the eight-textured chocolate cake.

Layer one was the sponge cake base.

Layer two was the chocolate mousse.

Layer three was the milk chocolate praline disc.

Layer four was the caramel, vanilla and chocolate _ganache._

Layer five was the chocolate and praline _dacquoise._

Layer six was the chocolate caramel cream.

Layer seven was the dark chocolate disc on top.

Layer eight? Well, Alice was just going to enjoy watching it unfold.

"Alright, this is Ryou-kun's eight-texture chocolate cake everyone. You all better gird your loins" laughed Alice.

* * *

Ryou continued to sooth the berserk beast within him as he expertly balanced his tray of his desserts and the saucepan of chocolate sauce to the judges. He took perverse delight in watching them tense their muscles as wariness and apprehension flickered through their eyes.

' _They will submit to me'_

"So Kurokiba-kun. Those cakes can't be any more than ten centimetres in diameter and three centimetres high. Are you sure this will be decadent enough for us _dattebayo?"_ said the blonde judge.

"Taste it and you'll find out" he sneered.

The cake he presented was indeed only ten centimetres in diameter and three centimetres high. It was perfectly round, sitting on the white dish in all its chocolate glory. Chocolate whipped in eight different ways. It couldn't get any better than this. There was no garnish. Just the light, medium and dark brown hues against the stark whiteness. It was like a void, drawing in the eyes of the judges and not relinquishing them like a black hole sucking in all the light.

"What's the name of your dish?" asked the pink haired doctor.

"It's my eight-texture chocolate cake" he said, grinning manically. He watched as the pink haired doctor gulp. "You can figure it out that it has eight layers" he said cockily.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I was watching you, you only made seven components and assembled only those seven components into you cake" said the deep voice of the dark haired judge. He had his arms crossed leaning back against his chair. "Where's the eighth layer?"

Ryou's pupils dilated upon his comment. His smirk widened like a mad canine out for blood.

He pointed to his copper saucepan.

" _This is my eighth-layer"_

* * *

 **Kurokiba has a really complicated dish. I also hope it sounded decadent enough and I that you guys weren't bored with the recipe writing. It was hard to imagine Kurokiba going berserk mode for such a delicate but utterly complex dessert feat. So the Kurokiba we all know and love can't really fit into this theme. I had to find a way to make it work and came up with** _ **Andhrímnir mode.**_ **Now he will live up to his _Cerberus of Tootsuki_ title!**

 **Isami, we are all just as happy has you are that Ayame and Takumi finally had SEX! I wonder what Chizuru and Kuchiyose will say about it... OR HER FATHER! and how will their relationship change now? In case you're wondering, the Karakura students aren't here because they their own school to attend, of course haha :P**

 **Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you really soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	30. Reshuffle: Ryou vs Isami part 2

**Good evening.**

 **I've received a few not-very-nice PMs about my 'Paradiso' chapter. The senders expressed that they were angry that Takumi & Ayame didn't use protection, and already made angry assumptions about the trajectory of my story, especially about 'teenage pregnancy'. As a health professional, I'm happy that they at least support safe sex just as much as I do. However, whatever decision I take in my story will the best decision I am capable of making.**

 **If I decided that Ayame** _ **doesn't**_ **get pregnant, I'll make sure I do a good job writing the storyline for it. On the other hand, if I decided that Ayame** _ **does**_ **get pregnant, I'll still make sure I do a good job writing the storyline for it too. I hope that sounds fair.**

 **You lovely readers have stuck with me all the way to this chapter and I don't think I've committed any serious faux pas in my story except now, that is, if you count Takumi and Ayame (seemingly) lack of safe sex as a faux pas. All I ask from you is to continue trusting in me that I'll continue to deliver a good quality story with all the strength I have. I'm not the type of person to write things on the fly, I always do my research and plan things out. The last thing I would do is shank my story after so much effort.**

 **I enjoy readers guessing what's going to happen next and I really love constructive feedback, which I've also been receiving :) but I DON'T appreciate people SECOND-GUESSING and accusing me for events that haven't even happened.**

 **This is kind of like an open-letter. If this doesn't apply to you at all, then I apologise you had to read this and waste your time. I seriously needed to get it off my chest. It was unbelievable.**

 **Well, lets get on with the chapter now :)**

* * *

 _Chapter 30 - Elite Ten Reshuffle Competition: Ryou vs. Isami part 2_

* * *

The audience erupted in whispers and Ryou couldn't help give a feral smirk and bare his sharp teeth. He watched the judges faces eagerly, waiting to see that widening of the eyes, and the slight gaping of the mouth that told him they weren't expecting that at all. His bandanna was still wrapped securely around his head. After all, he wasn't done with this dish yet.

"Eight-textures huh? Amazing work you've put yourself through. Well, then I better be expecting eight times the 'wow' factor here _dattebayo_ " chuckled the blonde CEO. He tilted his head from side to side as he inspected the cake at all angles.

"Tell us about these eight layers" asked the pink-haired doctor, folding her arms onto the table top and leaning forward.

 _"Heh._ Basically, I've made the sponge cake as the base, the chocolate mousse as the body, a milk chocolate praline disc, caramel, vanilla and chocolate _ganache,_ chocolate and praline _dacquoise,_ chocolate caramel cream and the dark chocolate disc on top. The chocolate sauce is the last layer" growled Ryou as he propped his hands on his hips.

It was fucking hard to get rid of the animalistic speech patterns when he was in 'berserk mode', but with _Andhrímnir mode,_ he was able to keep in in check with the judges and it came out as more of a husky rumble.

"Alright then, let's try this"

Ryou picked up the small copper saucepan and removed the lid. He gave the chocolate sauce a bit of stir to get it running and made large dollops of pure liquid chocolate _ganache_ onto the centre of each cake. They waited. Soon before their very eyes, the middle of the tempered chocolate disc suddenly caved in, in a mini surround waterfall of oozing and shiny chocolate deep into the heart of the cake. The judges were now even more transfixed on the magical transformation of his decadent dessert.

Ryou tried to suppress the savage glee threatening to burst from his chest as the three judges were already simply submitting shamefully to the presentation of his chocolate cake. If that chocolate cake itself was a black hole, sucking in all their attention to its round, perfect and minimalist style, then the hopelessly melted centre created another powerful black hole that siphoned more of their attention, holding them captive to its simplistic, but luxurious beauty. Ryou knew, the judges couldn't possibly escape from his hold now. He'd got them dead-locked as his prisoners before the battle even began. He could practically see their mouth about to water.

The judges pressed their spoons against the tempered chocolate disc. The pink-haired doctor gasped at the satisfying, sharp crack, and then her spoon glided smoothly through the creamy mousse. Ha. He tempered that chocolate like a boss. As soon as the first spoonful was caked in all the textures and reached their tongues, Ryou had them chain-mailed to his fingers.

The blonde CEO looked like he was about to jerk off. His face started getting pink, his hands started shaking uncontrollably, and his eyes almost rolled to the back of his head. He also had to pause all his movements to get over his sudden burst of euphoria before continuing to gorge himself in the insanely decadent cake, one agonisingly rich spoonful at a time. That pink-haired doctor mewled like a cat in heat after each bite and she was also doing measly attempts of resisting making those delicious noises, much to his sadistic amusement. Even though she was the only female judge on the panel, he felt a sense of great strength and power coming from her as soon as he laid eyes on her. It was great and all, but the sooner she learnt to let go of that prim-and-proper-doctor persona she'd been toting around, the better she could indulge in this once-in-a-fucking-lifetime dessert of his. Meanwhile, that pretty boy, frosty CEO son-of-a-bitch of Igakono _senbei_ had the least visible reaction but it was still enough to tell Ryou that he won him over. It was miniscule, but Ryou's acute sight saw his micro-expressions slip from his steadfast control every now and then and it was even more amusing to watch the indigo-haired CEO try to withstand it. With eyes of a canine, Ryou spotted the way he held his breath and his eyebrows raised up ever so slightly. _The Cerberus of Tootsuki_ clenched and unclenched his fingers, his nails biting into his skin with every clench but all he felt was excitement.

 _'You can try and hold it in all you fucking like. You're already breaking against the decadence I've created'_

Ryou was as ecstatic as _Andhrímnir mode_ allowed him to be. It was a bestial form of ecstasy he got from watching his customers reduced to shameless puddles before him.

The judges did not say a word until they wiped their plates clean from all the chocolate.

"Man I gotta be honest!" began the blonde CEO exuberantly. "Half the excitement of this dessert is the theatre of pouring that eighth texture of chocolate. You know, that _ganache_ on top of the mouse and just watching all that cave in. Brilliant _dattebayo!"_

"Hn. It was a simplistic trick, but surprisingly still amazing to watch" said the CEO of Igakono _senbei_ in a monotone voice.

"Yeah, I was wondering why you scooped out a part of the middle of the mousse before you placed the chocolate disc on top" said the pink-haired doctor. The two male judges nodded in response.

The beast within Ryou lapped up their compliments, however he himself knew that there would be more to come.

"You were able to nail the mousse, which is the most important bit" started the CEO of Igakono _senbei_ this time. He leaned back again and crossed his arms as if the panel was his own office desk. "The colour was the right shade between the balance of chocolate and cream as it was stiff enough and really held the cake together. Getting that balance right of all the ingredients will actually set the mousse" His eyes bored into Ryou's, unflinching.

The pink-haired doctor nodded before taking her turn to speak "The presentation was really decadent too, in my opinion. I guess, the assumption most people make is that decadence has to be 'over the top' or something like that. But you know, I think the minimalist visual effect of you cake actually enhances the decadence of the flavours and the textures it encompasses. Even the melting centre, the slow way it just oozes and dips into the centre made my skin crawl!" she clapped her hands together.

Ryou watched the way her verdant green eyes lit up and her petal-pink lips curved into a gentle smile. He smirked.

"The chocolate component and the cream component was quite smooth and the palate was good. I can taste all the layers in there" said the CEO of Igakono _senbei_ who hadn't moved an inch from his rigid position. Ryou wasn't at all intimated by the oppressive and intimidating air he was putting out. It wasn't really in his nature to be intimidated by anything or anyone anyway.

"Oi, _Sasuke-teme…_ Is that all you're gonna say? Don't hold out on the guy who busted his balls to cram eight different things into this tiny cake, _dattebayo!"_

The blonde judge banged his fist onto the table and glared at the CEO next to him, who decided to close his eyes, as if none of his words reached him and he couldn't give a fuck. The icy attitude he was now giving made the vibrant and sunny CEO shake with annoyance and he looked he wanted to strangle him with his own tie. So much for being fucking professionals.

"Get a hold of yourself Naruto! If that's all Sasuke-kun wants to contribute, then that's it" the female doctor grabbed hold of the blonde judge's closest ear and yanked him harshly until he yelped. "Anyway, I for one thought the tempering of the chocolate's got that beautiful crisp and crunch. It tastes spectacular and the sauce was delicious. I can taste the fizzy crackle of the praline, the mouse is beautifully smooth, the cream is beautifully smooth too. Not a single thing was curdled, so I was seriously impressed. Also, there's this wonderful crack in the chocolate like we've mentioned before that I can't get enough of, and the chew of the dacquoise was fantastic. Forget heaven, I think I'm going to hell with this cake because the flavours are absolutely sinful!" laughed the pink-haired doctor.

Ryou grunted. That was also the effect he was going for. The sinfulness was the nature of the decadence he created.

"I could pick up on the sponge at the bottom" commented the CEO of Igakono _senbei._ "And there is a real sense of textures-"

"Oh now he speaks…"

"You are such a child Naruto!" yelled the rosette-haired doctor and smacked him over the head, hard enough for even Ryou to be impressed. "Please continue, Sasuke-kun"

He almost rolled his eyes.

"Hn. It's not so sweet, so I was able to enjoy each morsel without the richness being overwhelming. I agree with Sakura, I liked the praline crunch and the sensations it brought to the palate and if you interrupt me again, _dobe_ , I will key your car" his voice encased in glacier at the very end and he dangerously shifted his eyes to his right in the direction of the blonde judge, but he didn't move a muscle in his neck.

His threat lingered in the air and it was distinctly palpable. Ryou's inner berserk beast chortled and revelled in the tense and daunting atmosphere that the CEO of Igakono _senbei's_ calibre and breeding could pull off. However, Ryou himself felt differently. He was starting to get seriously pissed that these judges were picking fights with each other when they were supposed to be judging his dessert. They had one fucking job to do and they still ended up being petty. However, he didn't say anything to get them to move the fuck on. He came fucking close though but instead let it play out and endure the tedious bickering. He didn't want to risk embarrassing Mi'lady Alice otherwise he would get an earful when all this was over.

"Alright boys, let's give our scores before I lose any more of my patience. If you two bicker again for the next taste-testing, you'll regret it!" said the pink-haired doctor.

"Yes, Sakura-chan…"

"Hn"

All three judges bowed their heads as the typed their score into the number pad below the table.

 _Eighteen from CEO of Igakono Senbei, Uchiha Sasuke_

 _Eighteen from CEO of TopRamen, Uzumaki Naruto_

 _Eighteen from Tenure professor of Toudai, Dr Haruno Sakura._

The audience whooped and cheered. Ryou grasped the knot of his bandanna and yanked it from his head. The transformation was instantaneous. He went from a chained and tamed raging beast, blowing smoke from his flaring nostrils and gnashing his teeth in silence, and into the soulless deadpanned expression he was comfortable to tote around. He felt so much lighter.

Gee… he also felt tired all of a sudden… ah. Perhaps he needed more training to master his _Andhrímnir mode_. Hmm... It would be stressful, but he was going to have to do it eventually. He peered up at the screen with his name and his scores like an intoxicated moth, eying a lantern. If he was a complete dolt, he would've rubbed his eyes and wondered if he was dreaming, but he wasn't, so he didn't. He huffed and draped his flaming bandana around his neck. They were all pretty high scores... but it wasn't as high as he thought it would be.

 _'How irritating…'_

"We've raised our benchmark for judging in this competition now. We had no idea what standards you students will be at, but after the judging yesterday, we're pretty confident to say we're expecting dishes that are on par with the heavy weights of the gourmet cooking world" said the pink-haired doctor.

The other judges nodded in agreement.

Ryou nodded back.

 _"Next up is Isami Aldini! Please present your dish!"_

Ryou inwardly groaned at the banshee of a voice from that stupid emcee. Would it kill Tootsuki to change it up a little and get someone different to hold the microphone? Preferably someone who didn't sound like a desperate host of a children's show? Somebody needed to club her over the head. She annoyed him to no end. That Urara chick or something like that. He tended to forget stuff that weren't important.

Ryou turned around, curious to see what the younger Aldini had plated up to go against his own magnificent dessert.

The sight of it stopped his heart.

 _"Oh my god! That looks like a piece of art work!"_

 _"Can you really eat that?! It looks like it should be behind glass in a gallery"_

 _"Well, that's a Takumi-sama's brother for you!"_

The cheering of the audience dropped into gasps and whispers, but it still didn't escape Ryou's acute hearing.

Aldini balanced all three of his dishes in his arms and gently placed them before each of the judges.

Ryou stared at it curiously. It indeed looked like an artistic masterpiece with a visual theme, he'd give him that. In the foreground and the centre piece of the dish was some sort of dessert, shaped as an old fashioned, vintage atomiser perfume bottle with a pump. It was coned shape and possessed the colour of the deepest and lushest of velvet red. The nozzles, the tube and the pump was no doubt, had to be precisely shaped by some sort of molding chocolate which had been evenly coated in gold dust. Behind it were tall, beautiful sugary glass-like shards of a sensuous green and firey gold, flanking the perfume bottle shaped dessert, like a burning aura. Also a jagged piece of tempered chocolate, stood at attention with zebra like patterns behind it, giving another visual depth to this artwork the _Italienesk_ had crafted. A nest of small violet flowers was fluttered delicately and expertly, around the base of the strikingly red velvet dessert perfume bottle and if Ryou looked closely, he saw small sparkling red sugar crystals lining the bottom of the perfume bottle. Practicing this dish must have been a patisserie nightmare.

The judges were in awe. The blonde one stood up and rotated the plate a bit to get his own panoramic view of his dessert. Their eyes grazed over each and every element and Ryou couldn't resist doing the same.

"Oh goodness… tell us about this dish you've got here, Isami-kun" sighed the pink-haired doctor.

"I call my dish **essenza della donna**. Which means **'Essence of Woman'** " said the smiling Aldini. "I dedicate this dessert to all the beautiful women who have been an important part of my life and who have helped shaped me into the man I am today. My _mamma_ , my _nonna_ and my girlfriend. I tried to make the decadent presentation as beautiful as them"

Ah. He could hear the Tootsuki female population's ovaries exploding.

Ryou got it now. The whole visual was even more stunning now that he understood it's meaning. The striking glass shards shaped like flames and molten droplets frozen in spurts was almost incandescent under the stadium lights, and the sensuous, patterned tempered chocolate represented to Ryou the strong, _fiery_ and _blazing_ passion that only women were capable of commanding. That same dangerous passion that could undo men and slice them into ribbons in a heartbeat. The height of the decoration and the prominence of the beautiful perfume bottle exuded such _feminine powe_ r. The flowers added that touch of vivid, delicate beauty, elegance and grace, just like a woman, which complimented the messages Aldini engraved into his presentation.

"I'm a romantic guy myself- Don't roll your eyes at me, Sasuke _-teme._ Do you know what I worship more than anything in the world? _My wife and my mother._ So I definitely know how you feel and I'm pleased to hear you say that. I can certainly see you've put your heart and soul for these women on your plate, _dattebayo._ I look at this plate and I can think _'Hot damn!'_ Your dish just screams _beauty, femininity, power, strength_ and _passion_ and I love it" said the blonde CEO who grinned widely, looking pleased as punch.

"Well, I am completely blown away! I think your presentation have done justice to all those qualities in women with the exquisite perfume bottle and the glass shards is so captivating. Your tribute to these wonderful women in your life brings me just joy and pride. If all the men in the world thought at least half of what you think of your mother, grandmother and girlfriend, then us women would live certainly very pleasing and comfortable lives. Looks like my husband needs to step up his game because, you've certainly stole my heart with this gorgeous dessert!" said the pink haired doctor and she chuckled brightly.

The indigo-haired CEO cleared his throat. "A young man your age whose respect for family and women is something that should be commended. I too, wouldn't be the man I am today without my mother and her wisdom. The Uchiha family on the front is a _patriarchal_ family, however behind every great family head is an equally great woman supporting him all the way, such as my mother, Uchiha Mikoto. Behind the scenes, the running of my family is greatly _matriarchal._ The Uchiha family would've been decimated long ago without the strong women supporting the foundations of the family. Your presentation is an interesting representation of raw feminine power to say the least" said the CEO of Igakono _senbei._

 _"Grazie, signore, singora"_ Aldini bowed at the waist.

Ryou never talked about his own family and he barely remembered his own _mor,_ or 'mum', to begin with. He found himself struggling to identify with the messages and feelings Aldini had put in his decadent dessert, but he agreed that it was a pretty sexy looking dish. The Aldini's eyes practically sparkled as he was washed over with praise after praise for his presentation. Well… the proof was in the taste, if the judges could hurry it up along.

"Ah sorry, we waffled on a bit, but please continue!" the CEO of TopRamen laughed and rubbed the back of his hands bashfully.

 _"Nessun problema!"_ said Aldini. "So basically **essenza della donna** consists of a frozen praline _parfait_ shaped as a vintage perfume bottle. Inside the frozen parfait are crystalised violets and freeze-dried rhubarb. I've sprayed the outside of the _parfait_ with red cocoa-butter. The nozzle, tube and pump is made from melted chocolate mixed with syrup. The pump here is a chocolate truffle shell with rhubarb velvet inside. I rolled them all into cocoa powder and gold dust" said Aldini as he gestured to his elements.

"I'll say it again, the glass shards look absolutely spectacular! How did you make it? Is it with sugar?" asked the pink-haired doctor.

"Sort of, _signora._ It's melted isomalt which is a sugar substitute" said the Aldini.

"Welp! Let's give this a try everyone. But first, let's check the tempering of the chocolate" said the blonde CEO excitedly.

Each of the judges picked up the shard of tempered chocolate and snapped it, and popped a part of it into their mouths. Ryou's ears twitched at the sound of the delicious crack. Aldini had also tempered his chocolate to perfection. Next they cut into the velvet rhubarb chocolate pump and watched as the viscous and smooth centre oozed out. It looked delicious and they each had a taste. Next, their spoons cut into the parfait and Ryou saw bits of crystalised violets and the cubes of freeze-dried rhubarb peeking through the lovely beige parfait

They instantly jolted and their expressions froze in surprise

"Oh my god!… This taste!" began blonde CEO. "I can't believe it… did you add-"

* * *

 _"-SALT!?"_

Takumi jerked at the sudden yells to his face. Yukihira, Tadokoro-san, Arato-san, the Nakiri cousins, Mimasaka and Hayama crowded around him. They had all been watching very closely to the judging of Kurokiba's decadent eight-textured chocolate cake and were listening to the judges' critiques captured by the microphones they had on their lapels. Even the view from up there, his cake looked absolutely magnificent with the way, the different types of whipped up chocolate just oozed and melted when the judges sliced their spoons through it. However, Isami had definitely stole the show with his presentation. It took him twenty-four hours to come up with this dish and he'd been working all morning and afternoon yesterday. He even beckoned Ayame to stay a bit later after their dinner so that he could re-create his dessert one last time for her to try. The flavours were utterly amazing and so unique! Isami had really leveled up and grown so much to reach this height of advancement since being a first year student. He even gave Takumi a copy of the recipe he wrote up for it to peruse. It was a four pages long. Takumi was shocked that he would go so far as to incorporate a theme into it to showcase another level of decadence and Takumi couldn't be prouder. Italian's were born romantic at heart and women to them were as important as breathing itself, and _mamma_ made sure they grew up respecting the fairer sex. It was Isami's time to step out of the shadow and into the light.

"Aldini-kun, that is _freaking genius!_ Salt! Who would've thought~" Nakiri Alice squealled and clapped her hands together. "He's using salt to bring a unique depth of decadence and he's mixed it in to really enhance the sweetness of the _parfait"_

"That's correct. Measurement and balance of ingredients has to be key in this dish. You know, with everything going on, on the plate the salt level must be absolutely _perfect_ to get that effect, like salty peanut butter. Five grams over, or five grams less, the mixture would be absolutely ruined" said Nakiri Erina sagely.

"It's pretty courageous for him to add that saltiness to the parfait with desserts being strictly sweet and all" contributed Hayama. He returned to standing a bit off the side. He'd been silent for the majority of today's battle, but his voice carried out loud and clear. "Most chefs hold back on the salt which is also not favourable. If you use too little, it loses some of the brightness. I think for most chefs the issue is having the courage to have enough salt in there to make the _parfait_ really pop."

"That's right… the sugar and salt would cancel each other out, so there needs to be a balance of saltiness and sweetness, favouring the salty side, in there to have that really enhanced effect" said Arato-san.

"I'm really curious about the glass shards he's made. How did he do that?" asked Yukihira.

"It's made from Isomalt. He melted them down and spreaded it over a silicon mat that's had vodka coated on it to help with the reaction and shaping. It crystallises much better than normal sugars" replied Takumi.

The growing respect his peers were holding for Isami was mounting as they nodded and gasped in wonder at the variety of techniques he used. Takumi's chest swelled up with pride. It was hard for others to see how great his younger _Fratello_ truly was. Most people skimmed over his achievements and didn't really bother to see the great potential he had in him as a chef. This chance was absolutely transforming for Isami. Everyone would get to see his true capabilities as a chef and no doubt will never look at his dear _Fratello_ the same way again.

 _"Shhh!_ Shut up everyone! The judges are about to critique!" yelled Nakiri Alice.

* * *

"This has got to be the most technically difficult dish I've ever tasted" said Doctor Haruno. Isami glowed at her words. "I'm really impressed with the tempering of the chocolate, it's got that shine and great snap so well done. The saltiness was the dark horse and was absolutely perfect! In the _parfait,_ I really get the praline base, it's really smooth and the _parfait_ itself is made really well".

"Me too Sakura-chan. I'm getting that real sense of textures in the parfait. There's the lovely crunchiness of the pure violets which you've crystalised into sugar, and the lovely chewiness of the rhubarb chunks was really good, I mean it's just wow. You've nailed it _dattebayo!"_ said Uzumaki-san.

"If I didn't have anything sweet to have with the actual _parfait,_ for me it would have been over-salted. But it sets off the praline really well, it sets off the chocolate really well too and I think it shines through" said Uchiha-san who gazed at Isami cooly.

The other judges nodded in agreement.

 _"Grazie"_ Isami bowed again.

He just couldn't believe it. All of a sudden, all that experimentation of different and advanced techniques, and the extra studying about different food textures and flavour combinations were beginning to really pay off. Isami's palate wasn't the same as _Fratello_ and it was different. _He_ was different. Isami had come to realise that he would never be the same as his brother, the way _pappa_ had secretly hoped, and that was okay because Isami had something unique and fresh to offer the world and he would still be able to stand side-by-side with Takumi and together they would continue to make a formidable team. If by the willingness of God, that he did not allow him to surpass his dear _Fratello,_ then that was God's choice and it was Isami's job to make sure he made the best with what he had and continue to strive to better _himself_ , _for himself_ , with nobody as a better judge than _himself_.

 _'It's not about Fratello anymore. It's about ME'_

"I'm tasting honey in here as well, but it's not the same as the normal honey. It's got this light and delicate taste which has a hint of caramel" continued Uchiha-san.

 _"Si signore._ It's Ligurian honey which I've imported from Australia. It's an organic honey. The Ligurian bees of Kangaroo Island gets its nectar from the cup gumtree blossoms which give that unique flavour" said Isami, he held up his jar of Australian honey and showed it to the judges.

"Well, it's absolutely gorgeous Isami-kun, well done" praised Doctor Haruno.

"Yeah, and that rhubarb velvet inside the chocolate truffle pump added a coolness and a freshness to the dessert too, which tied everything nicely" added Uzumaki-san. "Let's give out our scores before we fall into a food coma, _dattebayo._ Remember we are judging which is the best _**decadent dessert**_ _"_

Isami held his breath as the judges bowed their heads and tapped onto the numeric keyboard under the panel. He stared up at the blank board high above him, waiting with bated breath for the numbers to appear.

 _Seventeen from CEO of Igakono Senbei, Uchiha Sasuke_

 _Seventeen from CEO of TopRamen, Uzumaki Naruto_

 _Nineteen from Tenure professor of Toudai, Dr Haruno Sakura._

Isami released his tight breath and dropped his hands to his knees to stop himself crumbling to the floor.

 _"The Winner of the second match of Round One is Kurokiba Ryou!"_

Isami straightened himself up and threw his heads back, staring at the roof and all the stadium lights which blurred into random splotches of brightness through his tears. The crowd burst into applause and cheering with Kurokiba's names dancing on their lips. He felt the tears slipping through and they cascaded down his temples. His shoulder wanted to shake with all his pent up emotions and he worked even harder than making the dessert to hold down the choking sobs which threatened to rupture the dam within him. He'd lost by a hair's breadth. By one point.

He forced a smiled.

He had to keep smiling for his own sake.

 _'It all just disappears doesn't it? Everything I've worked for, gone in a moment like breath on a mirror. And just like that… I'm out of the competition… again'_

"Oi"

Isami automatically turned away from the voice to wipe his tears and the snot that was coming out from his nose. The last thing he wanted was for his opponent to see was him crying his eyes out for losing. His _mamma_ always told him there was no shame in crying, but god damn it, he couldn't control himself this time! He turned around to see Kurokiba standing and staring in front of him, not bothered by his swollen red eyes. He was back to being his normal, placid self and his bandana was back to being tied around his wrist. His hands were deep in his pockets and his shoulders were slouched.

But there was something different about the way he was looking at him and Isami could've sworn there was something akin to _respect_ or even _acknowledgement_ in those deep dark eyes.

 _'I could be wrong though…'_

"Your recipe… I want it…" Kurokiba drawled.

"Huh… umm… S-sure, alright then…?" Isami replied dumbly. What the on Earth was that?

Kurokiba gave him a solitary nod before dragging his feet away, picking up his knife case with his knives already packed up and slung it over his shoulder the same way he did when he came on.

"Wait! I want a copy of your cake recipe too!" Isami yelled back without thinking.

 _"Ousu"_ Kurokiba replied with looking at him and stepped down from the kitchen stadium stage.

* * *

 _"Fantastisk._ I knew it! I knew it~!" sang Alice as she skipped down the stairs of the viewing box to meet Ryou-kun at the entrance of the tunnel under the audience seats. That was most certainly an interesting battle yet! She was surprised that Aldini-kun got that low of a score, but hey, at the end of the day the judges were looking for decadence and what was more important than a decadent presentation? A decadent _flavour_ which Ryou-kun obviously knocked out of the ball park with his eight-textured chocolate cake. While Aldini-kun's decadence was mostly in the presentation and also the saltiness of his parfait, Ryou's decadence was in the eight chocolate flavours. Like anything else right with the world, chocolate always won. Poor Isami Aldini though, he did amazing work on his dessert and frankly hearing his explanation of the ideas behind his dessert made her gush. He was such a romantic guy. Well, it looked like he was going to go back to being his _brors_ shadow.

Isshiki-senpai had shown up in the nick of time for the scoring along with alumnus Kobayashi Rindou. He thought it was more convenient to just reveal the next match which was her's and Kobayashi-senpai's and the theme on the spot to save the trouble of going back to his office. Thank god for that!

 _'Haha! So my theme for tomorrow is_ _ **Nature.**_ _What an interesting theme!'_

Erina had disappeared somewhere during the middle of judging Aldini-kun's dessert, so she had better find her later to tell her the good news that so far her aide had reigned supreme in the competition and that she was up next.

Just as the silver-haired Nakiri made it into the dim tunnel, she could already see the light at the end of it. There were two shadows at the very end at the entrance and she had to squint a bit to see who it was. One was tall and the other was shorter.

"Ah, who's that I wonder" she sped up her pace and as soon as she made it out of the shadows and into the light to see who they were, she recognized one was Erina.

And then she stopped dead in her tracks.

 _"Byakko?!"_

He turned his head at his name. He was standing right there! He leaned against the wall in all his glory. He was dressed rather sloppily in his grey school uniform with his blazer undone revealing a black T-shirt, something he always did after a soccer match. _Damn her brain from remembering such an insignificant detail!_ His lilac-coloured hair was tied back into a half ponytail this time and his fringe was swept back, revealing the entirety of his chiseled face. His beautiful hazel eyes were as sharp as ever, as he looked down at her from his height. He carried with him his sports bag and his school bag. Even in her presence, he was nonchalant.

Alice felt a pang through her chest.

"Erina… What is he doing here?" Alice said through gritted teeth. Her fists balled by her side and she had to discipline herself from throttling her superbly dense cousin.

"I-I gave him an all access pass the last time he was here—"

"AND WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" Alice bursted out. Erina flinched and Byakko remaining completely still as a statue which irked her even more. "You know about my situation—"

"And _he_ doesn't! Which is why you need to tell him"

"Who are you to decide that?" she sighed irritably. She puffed out her cheeks and looked away.

"Because clearly you are still heartbroken and maybe the two of you will have another cha—"

"Hold on a god damn minute! You are one to talk Erina as if you're an expert in these sorts of things. Your delusional ideas of sweet romance are just fantasies coming out of unrealistic _shojou_ manga anyway, and Byakko and I aren't part of that. Not everything ends happily and not everything can be fixed so don't pretend you understand"

"H-Hey! I'm not as d-dense as you make m-me out to be! I've learnt s-some things!" Erina spluttered as her face turned beetroot red.

"Sure you did, Hishoko must have upgraded you on the deeper stuff. Congratulations. When the hell did you start caring for me anyway Erina?" Alice tried to turn the tables onto her, anything to escape this building sense of shame and indignation galloping wildly through her.

"W-Well, grandfather said—"

"Ah. It's always somebody telling you how you should feel and what to feel. You don't have empathy for me Erina, so don't try to force yourself to because grandfather said so"

"That's not true! I do care for you!"

Both girls went red in the face and glared at each other. Alice could feel the electrifying tension zap all over the place. Alice was almost blown away by her cousin's words, but this wasn't the time to coo and tease Erina's sudden burst of familial emotion and certianly not the time to ask if she ate one of Yukihira's godforsaken creations to addle her brain into oblivion. The more important issue was still glaring them in the face and it came in the form of her blasted ex-boyfriend, still lounging against the wall.

"Whose stupid idea is this anyway?! Yours!?" Alice suddenly rounded on Byakko, targeting all her anger and fury to him

 _"It was mine, Mi'lady"_

Alice dreaded to hear Kurokiba's voice at that moment. If she was hearing his voice right now… that meant he was all part of this ludicrous and twisted set up. Why couldn't people just butt out of her business! She turned around and saw him stopping short of a metre away from them as his combat boots finished clonking down the kitchen stage stairs. He carried his knife case over his shoulders like he always did and he looked at her in the eyes with the same blank stare. Except it wasn't the same blank stares, they carried a lot more weight and seriousness in them.

"And what, _pray tell_ , could possibly have inspired you to do something to betray me like this, Ryou-kun" she whispered harshly at him and shoved him in the chest. Ryou-kun didn't budge and just took it like he usually did.

He said nothing.

"Kurokiba-kun and I noticed negative changes in you last year, Alice. It was concerning. Ever since you broke up with Kuchiyose-san, you've been forcing yourself to be happy and cheerful and you've even been trying so hard to forget your relationship ever existed. You should've tried to confide in Kurokiba-kun they way I did with Hisako, instead of bottling it all in because it eats away at you. Trust me, I've been there, but with different circumstances. You've buried yourself in _shokugekis,_ you started meddling in other people's personal affairs which you never did before. You don't think we can see you chip away on the inside, but we do. You've been hurting for a whole year and you didn't let Kurokiba-kun or I help you. On top of that, Kurokiba-kun has observed that lately you've been sloppy and distracted when practicing for your matches. To be honest, your cooking has been declining" said Erina, this time it was biting, almost in criticism.

 _"RYOU-KUN!"_ Alice yelled at her aide and stamped her foot. Then she went back to glowering at Erina.

"It's because you never told Kuchiyose-san the truth" concluded her goldern-haired cousin.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" she snapped quickly. She heard Byakko shift in his position as he pushed himself off the wall.

"You lost to Yukihira in the quarter-finals of the Autumn elections last year, Mi'lady. It's something that you never would've allowed" said Ryou-kun.

Great! Now her aide was also ganging up on her. She ought to kick him back to _Danmark_ and that dank seaport pub for giving her cheek. Alice felt a massive tantrum brewing on the inside. She couldn't believe her family and her aide was doing this to her right here and right now, and he just had to be here too! Angry tears started stinging her eyes and she puffed up her cheeks like she always did when she felt frustrated. Yukihira was a freak of nature so they couldn't use him as an excuse. Besides, it was a one-time thing and she didn't lose to anyone else after that, other than Ryou-kun.

"That's different! Yukihira's conception of _bentou_ as a theme was actually pretty good when I look back on it. So he beat him fair and—"

 _"No. It's because you remembered bentou was my favourite food, wasn't it"_

Alice sucked in her breath at the thick huskiness of Byakko's voice. It sent shivers up her spine. It wasn't even a question. It was simply a statement. He moved to stand nearer to her, his hulking frame daunting her own. She refused to look him in the face now, because every time she did in the past, she came undone.

Erina and Ryou-kun continued to gaze at her with pity when she realized that they were agreeing to what Byakko said. They were understanding what he was hinting now. Anger continued to well up inside her, looking for a way to vent out in the most epic of proportions. The anger wasn't directed at her cousin, or her aide, or her ex-boyfriend anymore.

She was angry at herself.

She was angry at the truth.

What they said was irrevocably true.

 _"I… I…"_

 _"Shh"_

Byakko placed his thumb over her lips to stop them quivering. She didn't even notice they were quivering.

 _Bentou._ It was the theme that had cost her, her match with Yukihira last year. Byakko used to eat a lot of _bentou_ when he was with her. He was agreeable with anything, and with anything agreeable to him, he ate in large quantities. However, whenever _bentou_ was on the menu at whatever shop or café they visited up in Tokyo CBD or the local places, he had always picked the biggest one. That was when Alice had realized Byakko's favourite food was _bentou._ Every time they went out for a picnic or when he was participating in a soccer game, she had always designed a _bentou_ that was the most fabulous of her creations, just for him to enjoy for lunch. She had worked hard all the time to create the most delicious and nutritious _bentou_ she could for Byakko's to eat and tried to make it new and exciting each and every time. As a soccer player, he had to eat a balanced meal to suit his horrendous soccer-training regime. She had placed a bit of herself into it each time and he would always find it. Then he'd give her that handsome sly look when he figured out the exciting and fun part of it. She had always loved the way he gave her one of his rare smiles after he finished gobbling up everything in the _bentou_ box. It had made her heart melt because his smiles were so rare. And when he had told her it was delicious, Alice felt her heart was stolen every single time.

So when the theme _'bentou_ ' rolled off of Isshiki-senpai's lips last year for her quarter final match, something in her crumbled away into the pits of darkness just when her heart was supposed to be mending.

And then Yukihira asked her in the middle of the match, _'Don't you know what's supposed to go inside a bentou?'_

Of course she did! She placed it inside every time she made her _bentou_ for Byakko!

When grandfather explained to her that she focused too much on the technical aspects of a _bentou_ dish while Yukihira focused more on the emotional aspects of it, she already understood that from the very beginning! _She knew that the whole time!_

 _... she knew it the whole time..._

It was because that day, she couldn't bring herself to unlock those feelings of making Byakko his _bentou_ again.

 _She just simply couldn't bear to relive the pain of making just one god damn bentou._

Thus, her dish no longer reflected her warmth and love for the person she was making it for. Instead, it reflected her cold and icy heart, devoid of all feelings and emotions.

And so she had lost.

She had lost because of the person she'd become.

Alice didn't realise hot tears were pouring from her eyes, torrenting down her flushed cheeks until Byakko pulled her forward and pressed her to his chest. He wrapped her in his strong arms like a security blanket. She unleashed an anguished sob as she grabbed onto his uniform and she wept shamelessly onto his undershirt. _Damn it! She wasn't supposed to end up like this!_ His smell was too nostalgic, that smell of grass from the soccer fields, his deodorant and his natural scent smothered her in too many memories. She held onto him with all her strength. She missed his warmth, she missed his comforting touches. His muscles were as hard as she remembered, but there was still a softness to them that she'd always enjoyed.

She missed him.

Alice felt him pull her away slightly. He placed his slender finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up. She gazed up at him through her tears and what she saw made her want to cry again.

 _Love._

 _"Did you think I'd care for you so little, that everything you've done would change the way I feel about you?"_

"I-I'm so s-sorry…" she hiccupped.

He didn't say anything else. Byakko wasn't stupid. He could always read her like a book.

He bowed his head and placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead.

For the first time in her life, she felt everything was going to be alright.

* * *

 **Isami brought the party to this chapter and gave it his best. But m** **y poor baby... Don't worry, he and Ayame can hangout in the 'losing makes you stronger clubhouse'. Congrats Ryou and congrats to your new personality mode. I hope you guys have enjoyed both of their decadent desserts!**

 **Oh Alice... My heart bleeds for you. I don't think Erina gets enough respect as a character in the manga. She's stereotyped the hot-tempered tsundere princess. I think having a 'sad past' was about as complex a character as she is going to get... I had thought it would be nice that she could practice being empathetic in my story just to tone down the tsundere a tad.**

 **We've found out that Alice's and Rindou's theme is** _ **Nature**_ **. I wonder what those two will make of this?**

 **Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	31. Purgatorio

_Chapter 31 - Purgatorio_

* * *

"Honestly, _Fratello._ You don't need to break your back trying to cheer me up" laughed Isami.

Takumi couldn't disagree more. That was exactly what Isami needed right now, no matter how hard his younger sibling tried to hide his disappointment. Tonight, he'd made Isami's favourite _antipasto,_ favourite dinner, favourite dessert and he'd even set aside the last bottle of _limoncello_ for him. Takumi looked over at his brother, who had weary lines surrounding his sky blue eyes and was adorning a tired smile. He stood beside the kitchen island, rubbing the back of his head in a little embarrassment. Takumi wouldn't dare let him help in dinner preparations and had sent his younger brother off to take a nice bath and change into comfortable clothing. Isami had done enough cooking in one day. Isami always wanted to look strong in front of people, especially his family. He did it to the point that it became so natural to him that _Mamma_ and _Pappa_ didn't think there was anything wrong hiding behind that façade of cheer. But not Takumi, Takumi always knew.

"It's nothing really. Go sit down, I've got everything under control" said Takumi, smiling warmly. He gave the pan a few more shakes on the stove, until he deemed their dinner was perfectly ready.

"At least let me wash the dishes!"

Takumi found it amusing that even on this darkening day, Isami still tried be supportive of him for the most menial of tasks. He wanted to be the one supporting Isami for a change. They were _twins_ after all.

"No no, I'll take care of that too" said Takumi with unbridled confidence.

"If you say so, _Fratello_. Remember that I offered first when you struggle to clean that pan in our impossibly small sink _"_

"I can handle it!"

Takumi didn't mean to yell that loud. He actually welcomed that classic ribbing, it meant that Isami was starting to lighten up. Isami finally gave up with another tired smile and sat at the kitchen island. He propped his chin into his hands watching carefully as Takumi served up his comfort food from a steaming pan.

The weather got chillier and chillier with every passing day now that they were officially in Autumn. It made Takumi nostalgic for the warmer climates of _Tuscano_. He found himself missing the pleasant humidity, the warm sunshine and the flourishing life that spring and summer brought to the ever busy streets of _Florence_ , and the idyllic beauty of the Italian countryside. He wondered how _Trattoria Aldini_ and his parents and uncle were doing. No doubt business was always booming there. Their regulars would be chatting up a storm with their waitresses and a few of their customers-turned-family-friends probably calling their _Pappa_ out of the kitchen to share a drink or two with them.

"I've always liked to have extra parsley in my _gnocchi_ , but _Pappa_ always looks like he's lost all hope when I've added more than I should into my own servings" laughed Isami, holding up his _gnocchi_ with his fork.

Isami's favourite comfort food was stilton and pear _gnocchi_. Isami had a more 'adventurous' taste compared to himself. Which probably explained why he took up Japanese culture with more gusto than Takumi did. Isami was always sampling as much food as he could no matter how weird it looked or smelled, thus growing up being pudgier. Also Isami took on acquired tastes faster than Takumi did. That was one of his strengths, he had noted.

"Well, _Pappa_ knows pasta inside and out, that's for sure" replied Takumi.

Isami hummed in agreement as he took a giant swig from his chilled _limoncello. Pappa_ wasn't exactly the most forgiving when it came to making mistakes in the kitchen. However, like any father, he had to learn that his twin sons were unique in their different ways, and had palates unique to each other. Essentially, they weren't clones.

"Do you think that's why _Nonna_ and _Pappa_ had never seen eye to eye when it comes to matters of the kitchen?"

"Probably. _Nonna_ isn't keen on the more modern twists _Pappa_ brings to _Trattoria Aldini._ It was originally _Nonna's_ and _Nonno's_ restaurant after all before it was passed down to _Mamma._ But she can't deny that _Pappa_ is an excellent chef"

 _Dio_ forbid the son-in-law trying to show up on an Italian mother's cooking. There was always at least one casualty in that battle and it was never the grandmother. _Mamma_ told stories of _Nonna_ viciously brandishing a rolling pin at _Pappa_ just because he suggested she added a tad more ground pepper to her three-hundred-year-old recipe for the classic _Aldini passata_ which was passed down through generations of _Aldinis_. What possessed him to open his mouth and say the first thing on his mind like a teacher's pet about the legendary _Aldini passata,_ they'd never know. It was during those story-telling times, _Mamma_ would openly joke about questioning why she even married _Pappa._ Takumi remembered _Pappa_ would reply back with some sort of smart-arse comment that made _Mamma_ blush and punch him in the arm with a little smile on her face. The two brothers continued to chat about their family, like any other day and soon Isami's woes were long forgotten and in the past. Takumi's heart warmed at the sight of his younger brother returning to his cheery and happy self again. His downcast eyes lightened up once more and Isami's shoulder no longer sagged like he carried the world on his back. They were now just two brothers enjoying a delicious meal together.

Soon it was well into the night when Takumi and Isami finished off their last morsel of dessert. Classic _tiramisu_. Isami's all-time favourite. With an extra _Tia Maria_ for his dear brother. There was no such thing as too much _Tia Maria_ in _tiramisu_. That was one of the many things the _Aldini_ brothers agreed on. Takumi was surprised Isami managed to sneak a bottle of it into his luggage without their parents knowing when he came back from _Italia_ during the summer holidays, but Takumi glad he did.

"Kurokiba-san asked me for my recipe for _essencza della donna_ and I asked for the recipe for his eight-textured chocolate cake too. I feel really honoured!" Isami beamed as Takumi got up to clear their dishes.

That was Isami's inferioty complex talking again, Takumi noted. Isami shouldn't need to feel 'honoured' for being treated as an equal by their classmates. It had come to a point that sometimes Isami would make passing comments that downplayed himself and his skills without realising it, which saddened, bordered annoyed, Takumi each time. Why was it so hard for Isami to see that his culinary skills were right up there with everybody else? Many years of walking in his shadows had conditioned him be that way, but it wasn't until last year that Isami started breaking out of those chains and really pushed himself and take off into the stars. Takumi's heart suddenly weighed a bit heavily whenever his brother said such things. He guessed habits were hard to break. Isami just had to get used to being in the head-space that he was one of the jewels of the ninety-second generation of Tootsuki, not a lump of coal.

As Takumi came back to the kitchen island to collect their empty glasses, he noticed there was a bandaid on Isami's thumb. Was it there before?

"Did you cut yourself in the tournament?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, no. There was a splinter on the bathroom door. It's no biggy" Isami gave him the thumbs up and a cheeky smile. "I took the last bandaid by the way and I forgot to tell you we were low on them last time. If I'd known you were going to the pharmacy, I would've asked you to get some more"

Takumi quirked his eyebrow, depositing the glasses in the sink.

"Why would I have gone to the pharmacy?"

"Well… y-you know… to get… your stuff?" Isami started looking hot around the collar.

"What stuff?"

"Uhh… stuff you need…?"

"Isami speak plainly. What was I supposed to get?"

"Stuff you need… with A-Ayame-chan?"

"What would Ayame need from the pharmacy?"

By now Isami looked extremely confused and uncomfortable, like he was sitting in the sauna for too long. What was the big deal? Now that the both of them have gone down this rabbit hole of riddles, Takumi couldn't possibly let Isami go without making him say what hell he was talking about in plain language.

"Seriously, _Fratello_? We're brothers… You can't exactly fool me to that extent. There's only so much your embarrassment can be funny" Isami crossed his arm and stared at him with brotherly concern.

"What are you talking about, Isami?" Takumi rolled his eyes and started washing up the dishes.

"..."

"..."

"… _il preservativo…"_

 _CLANG!_

The glasses slipped from his fingers.

What.

 _WHAT?!_

 _CONDOMS?!_

As soon as the last syllable of those Italian words slipped from Isami's lips, his world instantly spun out of control. _Il preservativo…Condoms._ Takumi suddenly felt like he was plunged into the icy Arctic sea in the middle of a raging sea-storm. His muscles instantly froze and his fingers, wet with soap starting trembling uncontrollably. His knees buckled instantly and his hands caught the edge of the sink in time with a loud _thump_. His mind instantly wiped itself clean to allow a million thoughts to hammer his brain into oblivion. _Dio mio, Dio mio, Dio mio._ They made love… out of wedlock... without protection. He and Ayame. _Cristo..._ He had brought shame upon himself for subjecting Ayame to his indulgence and selfish desires. How could he call himself an upstanding man for Ayame when he disgracefully submitted to his basic carnal desires without giving an iota of thought to the repercussions of his actions, just to fulfill his own happiness?

How could he have been so careless!

Was Ayame going to be alright?!

What would happen if…?!

Takumi's heart clenched painfully as the sheer size of his stupidity ploughed into stomach like a battering ram against a picket fence, making him want to throw up his dinner. His vision blurred and he couldn't see anything in front of his face. Sweat poured from the back of his neck and his breath felt unbelievably shallow, like there was a plastic bag around his head. Suddenly, images of his dead carcass being dragged by the bloodied hands of a certain sword-wielding policeman across the Japanese wilderness was most prominent in his mind. That image might as well have been an extremely accurate premonition. Then he saw his parents shaking their heads in pure disappointment for failing to be gentleman and not treating his beloved the way that he should. The next image terrified him senseless.

Ayame shouting at him how much she hated him for doing this to her.

"Woah! Calm down _Fratello!_ Breathe!"

Takumi barely registered his brother's words, already snagged by the throat by all his relentless fears pounding away at him like a criminal in solitary confinement for his reckless actions. Suddenly he felt a hand rubbing his back, but it did nothing to soothe the panic and nausea riding up and down his stomach.

' _How could I have done this… How could I have done this to Ayame?!'_

"...I h-have to call her…"

Takumi assumed autopilot mode and pushed Isami's hand away. He stumbled over to the kitchen island where his flip phone was sitting.

He had to talk to her. He had to make sure she was alright. _He had to make sure she didn't hate him._ As soon as he flipped it open with wet, soapy and shaking fingers. He gulped painfully.

"Wait!"

Isami placed his hands over his tightly gripped phone.

One look at Isami and he could tell his brother understood the serious predicament he was flailing in.

"Before you call Ayame-chan… just think… _if she's pregnant_ , what are you going to do?"

' _What am I going to do…'_

Those words echoed over and over in his head amongst the relentless chatter from his conscience, still berating him for being irresponsible. He tried to find meaning in them, but he couldn't no matter how hard he tried. He was just so overwhelmed, but he couldn't find the words to describe what he was overwhelmed with and how overwhelmed he felt. All he could think of was if Ayame was alright and if she was hating him.

"I… don't know what to do..."

 _"When you graduate from Tootsuki, you'll be going back to Italy right? Your parents want you to take over the family business and it's always been your dream right? Ayame needs to continue to study and go to university for mechanical and mechatronics engineering and follow her dreams in becoming an engineer. She won't find that in Italy. She has to stay in Japan to make her dreams come true. You two will be separated by half a world apart in a one year's time._ _ **How far do you see your relationship going?**_ _"_

Those words surged to the forefront like the bow of an icebreaker and it drowned out everything in his over-populated mind. Kuchiyose's words. It bit into him like a ferocious tiger. _Merda,_ more things he had to think about. Things he should've thought about from the very beginning. If Kuchiyose already saw that coming, why couldn't he see it himself? The weight of his stupidity sank heavier and heavier onto his chest until he could barely breathe. If Ayame was pregnant then didn't that mean his fate was sealed? No, no, no. That wasn't the only issue… it was an issue amongst many. There was more to it than that. The fact that he was an international student meant that his fate was predetermined by his visa. Their relationship was already riding on the hands of a ticking clocking, just counting down like a sadistic grim-reaper until the time he had to leave.

 _"Think very carefully_ _about what you and Ayame are going to do when it's your time to return to Italy, your world"_

Whether Ayame was pregnant or not… he still had to leave.

Takumi felt completely lost. He collapsed onto the nearest kitchen stool. He knew he'd have to face this revelation at some point. He didn't think it would be this soon, so he buried it into the bottom drawer of his thoughts. Damned denial. They'd been with each other for a relatively short time, and he'd felt nothing but happiness, fulfillment and _love_ for Ayame during those sweet times, and he was sure she felt the same. It was _real,_ it wasn't an infatuation. He had been so blinded by his blissful joy and happiness that he hadn't given much thought to the _reality_ of his relationship with Ayame. He felt something pressed between his fingers of his other hand. Isami had placed a cup of water, coaxing him to parch his thirst. Takumi held it like a stiff mannequin, but he didn't move to take a sip even though his throat felt like sandpaper.

' _If Ayame is pregnant… and I have to go back to Italia… There's no way I can- '_

" _Fratello,_ I know this is hard. But I need to you to listen to me right now. Okay… Just imagine for a moment… Imagine… giving up your dream to run _Trattoria Aldini_ with me…" Isami jarred his thoughts.

Takumi clenched his eyes and banged the fisted phone against his forehead.

"Look, Isami—"

"Just do it, Takumi _"_

Isami's voice was a chillingly still. Takumi sighed in exasperation and tried his best to conjure up the scenario. _Giving up on his dream._ It felt like a sword slicing up his skin into shreds, ripping his flesh into bloodied pieces, cracking through his bones. He imagined the sword representing his crumbling dreams and imagined it puncturing every single organ a hundred times until they were a scrambled mess. He imagined it twisting with each stab, tearing the flesh and ripping him apart from the inside. He imagined every line of blood flowing down his mangled body, draining him of his life ambitions. He hurt himself with the blade in every way he could until he couldn't take it anymore. That was what giving on his dream felt like.

"Now imagine Ayame-chan. This time, _imagine giving her up"_

Takumi bit into his lips until he could taste blood.

No.

Absolutely not.

He wouldn't _dare think that._

As soon as the thought flickered past, he was subjected to an _excruciating_ pain. It was more painful than he could have possibly imagined. The stabs, rips and slices of a well honed-sword was incomparable to the soul-crushing thought of leaving Ayame, his _amore._

"If the second image is worse than the first, then you have your answer" said Isami.

Takumi opened his eyes. Was it that simple? What was the reality? What was the dream? Which could he afford to live in? It was true, losing Ayame was worse than leaving his future of being an _Aldini_ chef in _Firenze._ But did that make it the right? Could that determine if he could make the right choice? He suddenly remembered something he told himself after he had confessed to her.

' _She's the one for me. I wouldn't be happier with anything else as long as she still walked this Earth'_

He wasn't sure what he was going to say nor was he sure if he was thinking in the right frame of mind. One thing he was sure of now was that there was no way he could return to _Italia_ truly happy if he left her behind.

He loved her too much to think otherwise.

"Isami… I think that's a decision Ayame and I have to make together. Not just on my own…" said Takumi. His voice was rather raspy.

He could see Isami nodding from the corner of his eyes. Takumi took a deep breath and summoned the courage to dial Ayame's number.

 _Brrrrr… Brrrr… Brrrr… Brrrr… Brrrr_

It was the longest five seconds of his life.

" _Hello?"_

He breathed out. Her voice was like the soothing balm to his turmoil.

"H-Hi Ayame…" he stuttered. "How a-are you feeling?"

" _Good. How about you?"_

She sounded normal. She sounded happy and content like nothing was wrong.

"Umm… good"

" _You don't sound good"_ she replied.

"Well… not all r-really. I wanted to t-talk to you about something. Is this a good time?" he inserted his thumbnail into his mouth and began chewing it. He could tell that Isami was floating by the hallway door but right now he couldn't care less that his brother was eavesdropping.

" _Of course"_ she said. Now her voice sounded a bit concerned.

"The other day when we… you know… w-we didn't… I mean, I didn't… use _protection_. U-Umm. I just want you to know that you have my support in everything y-you need. I w-won't ever leave your s-side. I-I'll take care of you and e-everything! You can depend on me! I promise I won't ever leave you! _Please don't hate me!"_

The more he talked, the more he panicked and the more he panicked, his words started mashing up together and he would end up shouting for no good reason. His thoughts were a runaway train with no breaks. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to compress all his feelings into his word-salad to Ayame like a pressure cooker. His face grew hot and flushed as shame overtook him.

" _I'm not pregnant—"_

"I'll talk to your father myself. I'll tell him that it's all my fault and none of the fault was yours. I'll convince him that I can protect and provide for you, even if I'm still in school!"

" _I'm not pregnant!—"_

"I'll take full responsibility. I'll open my own _trattoria_ in Tokyo after I graduate to support you if I have to! I'll make sure I'll be the best father that I can for our—"

" _I'M NOT PREGNANT!"_

Takumi ripped the phone from his ears as Ayame screamed at him. He blinked in confusion. _What did she say?_ But… but… _che?!_

" _Gosh, Takumi-kun… Sorry, I couldn't get a word in. Relax, you don't need to worry. I'm. Not. Pregnant"_

No, no, no… that wasn't right. They made love. She was pregnant wasn't she? That's how babies came from, right?

" _There's no way I could be pregnant…"_ she continued.

Takumi realised how twisted his logic was just then. He expected her to elaborate further, but was only met with stony silence and light breathing on the other side. He imagined her face was red with shouting at him.

"What… do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.

" _Well, I'm on the pill, so yeah. Nothing to worry about"_ she said quickly.

Takumi was more confused.

"But isn't that something you take the… s-straight after? I don't remember you... doing... that" he said.

" _Well, not THAT kind of pill. The other pill"_

"What other pill?"

" _Takumi-kun, shouldn't you be feeling relieved and happy that we're not having an accidental baby?"_ Ayame chuckled, with a hint of nerves outlining her words.

Takumi slapped himself in the forehead. "Yes! Yes! Of course! Yes, I am relieved. I'm also glad that you're alright and not mad at me" he tried to regain his nerves and tried not to sound like a blithering _idiota_.

" _Of course I'd be alright. I'm Kanda Ayame"_ she giggled.

Yes she certainly was. She was _his_ Kanda Ayame.

"I don't understand though… how did you know when to take th-the 'other' pill when w-we were going to… you know…"

" _Have sex?"_

Takumi nearly slipped off his kitchen stool. It sounded so wrong when Ayame said ' _sex'_ as she finished off his sentence. In all honesty, he hated that word. It sounded so abrupt and vulgar. He preferred to sugar coat that word with softer and romantic phrases like _'making love'_ or anything similar because to him, The union between two beloveds was something he saw as wonderful and romantic.

"… _Si…"_

There was shuffling on the other side of the phone and he guessed Ayame was shifting around on the floor and moving her school books aside.

" _I take the pill every day more or less—"_

"Everyday?!" Takumi shot up. Everyday _since when?!_ She was expecting that they'd make love _every day_ to the point that she'd take the pill _every day?!_ Well that was unexpected of her!

" _Yes! Oh god, Takumi-kun calm down! Oral contraceptives aren't only for preventing pregnancies, you know. The real reason I take is for something else really…"_

That stabbed at Takumi's curiosity. "What's the real reason then?"

" _U-Uhh… I don't know how to say this delicately, oh god…"_ Ayame groaned.

Takumi's curiosity was too far gone to consider how uncomfortable his girlfriend was sounding with this topic, but he waited with bated breath for her to explain.

" _I need to take the pill everyday… to regulate my period…"_

"Regulate… your _period_ …" Takumi-kun mimicked blandly.

" _Aya! It's so weird when you say it aloud! Yeah I have irregular cycles…"_ Ayame whined.

Period? What did that mean… Takumi looked up to where he knew Isami was still hovering by the hallway, looking to know if he knew what this 'period' was. Isami looked like he was mulling over his thoughts too as he had been listening in onto his conversation with Ayame.

"Umm… _la mestruazione"_ offered Isami.

 _La mestruanzione._

Menstruation.

Oh god!

 _Periods!_

"Wah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry too much into your private business! That was very insensitive of me!" Takumi shouted back into the phone. He was back to acting like a fool again and his face brimmed with mortification and embarrassment. He should've dropped the topic as soon as Ayame said she wasn't pregnant and moved on.

" _No, no. That's okay, you didn't know..."_

This was fast getting awkward if it wasn't before and right now Takumi wished somebody bludgeoned him with a cast-iron wok. He felt so tired and he sank onto the kitchen island and folded his left arm under his head as he still managed to keep his phone pressed to his ears.

" _What you said before... about not leaving my side and taking care of me... did you mean it?"_

"Every word"

" _I love you, Takum-kun"_

"I love you too, Ayame"

* * *

Chizuru basked in the warm glow of the afternoon sun filtering through the display window. Work was the same as usual. After school, hop over to Kojima-san's bookstore and just do shit, watch Kojima-san verbally abuse his customers, earn money and then go home. That was how she would've _liked_ it to be.

Teru- _fucking_ -nori made it impossible.

Chizuru sighed and looked over the stacks of take away boxes and microwavable containers sitting in the backroom. It started looking like a Chinese take-out place with those towering boxes hiding in the back. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Ever since the first time he came here, he kept coming back at least twice a week and shove another box of whatever food he made into her hands. It was getting ridiculous! She forgave him like, how many weeks ago? And yet he was still giving her food! She wasn't a starving rat from the ghetto. No matter what strategies she used to refuse them, or insults she catapulted at him, he remained unfazed and insisted in his own obnoxious way that she took it.

 _Sometimes he even made her eat it with him._

Chizuru shivered. There was something pathologically wrong with this punkass midget. Routinely coming back and giving her food despite repeated refusals was unhealthy behaviour. He did it like he immensely enjoyed her swearing at him to go away. But as soon as he had opened the boxes and showed her the contents, well... the glistening sauces, the food presentation, and the red-hot chilli colour was quite attractive and it had made her stomach grumble quietly. His food was always made fresh and was piping hot. It made her salivate, which was rare. Then the way his eyes sparkled with scary mischief, the way his smug smile upturned into a feral smirk, and even the way he just placed his hands on hips and jutted out it out as if he was the God of fucking everything irritated her beyond belief.

She didn't want to feel like she owed him anything. They were _even._ Whenever the short bastard came around and dumped his hot and spicy filled tupperware at her, he just hung around the shop talking about some random bullshit, flicking through books and whatnot while she tried to find ways to bar the shop from his return. In the end, she'd had just pull out a chair and started eating half of it while the bookshop owner had gone to get drunk at some _izakaya._

Didn't he have anything better to do in Tootsuki than to hang around and annoy her?!

When he didn't come, he sent his school entourage down to the bookstore to deliver his food to her in his stead, which was a lot worse. They introduced themselves as Terunori's _xuedi_ , which apparentlyw as the Chinese equivalent to _kohai._ His entourage were all gigantic muscular young men dressed up in traditional Chinese outfits from his Chinese cuisine club. They even had bald heads like _Shaolin_ monks in the Chinese dramas. Apparently they had been ordered to stay there until she accepted his food.

For fuck's sake.

Chizuru even thought she had a stroke of genius one time. She found his food undeniably enjoyable, so there was no point in lying about it because it would make her look like an idiot, and she _wasn't an idiot_. She thought if she said his food was delicious and commented on how she liked the textures and the spiciness many times, his ego would inflate so big, that he'd get bored of her and then go look for somebody else, a bigger challenge to compliment his food. She did exactly that. She ended-up executing her plan in a half-arsed tone. She couldn't bring herself to kick it up and notch and sound like a fan-girl because her threshold for 'enjoying food' remained stuck at around the level of 'normal sanity'. Also, Terunori would smell the insincerity like a bloodhound.

 _Praises regarding food from a girl born without a sense of smell or concept of flavour wasn't worth an achievement anyway._

Thus, her plan didn't work much to her chargrin, and it seemed to bring him some sort of self-satisfied joy to hear that from her lips, and he kept coming back like a cold-sore and there were no signs of boredom from him whatsoever.

She ended up eating Teru-fucking-nori's food for dinner twice a week.

Well. She enjoyed it as much as her anosmia allowed her and it was still a great reprieve from her mum's food. It wasn't after a while she came to terms that he simply wasn't going away and she began accepting his food with little resistance. Free food, why the fuck not? The last thing he made for her was _Sichuan_ eggplant with rice, and a side of pickled mustard greens, which apparently came from his own personal jar. Big whoop. It was spicy and the acidic kick was zingy. She told him it was nice and hurry the fuck up and take his boxes back because the backroom was cluttering.

Chizuru finished dusting the shelves and put the feather duster away. She looked around to see if there were customers she could assist, but they were all comfortable to casually browse. There were about four or so customers, so it was a quiet day. She quickly looked over to her employer who was sitting in the clothes he wore last week, reading _Beethoven's_ unofficial biography. Chizuru then decided to busy herself with pricing the heaping box of donated books.

"Those books, how much?"

Chizuru looked up from from her self-assigned task to see who was addressing her. Instead she found a large man towering over Kojima-san's messy table. Her employer slowly roused from his book and looked at the customer up and down as if he was trying to figure out if he was talking to him or not. Kojima-san had a cigarette hanging from his lips which he'd been puffing silently and every now and then tapped it onto his overflowing ash-tray.

' _This will be fucking good'_

These occurrences made her day.

"Hmmm?" Kojima-san grunted.

"Those books, the leather-bound ones" the pointed to the nearest shelf with his chubby ringged finger. He sounded very pompous indeed and his tailored suit was brimming with money. Chizuru remembered pricing those books from that shelf the other day. Couldn't he read the tag?

Kojima-san removed his cigarette from his chapped lips and made a great effort to crane his neck to take a look, and then returned his displeased gaze onto his customer.

"Yes. Dickens. The collected work of _Charles Dickens"_ He picked up his cigerette again.

"Are they real leather?" demanded the man.

"Well, they're real Dickens" shrugged Kojima-san.

"I have to know if they're _real leather_ because they have to go with the sofa" the man crossed his arms over his broad chest and eyed the grubby bookstore owner rather haughtily. "Everything else in my house is _real"_ he finished off with a flourish in his tone.

Kojima-san had the face that said he would rather wank to a goldfish.

"I'll give you thirty-two thousand for them" the man pulled out his fat wallet from his equally fat arse.

"Thirty-two thousand what?" Kojima-san spat out and rubbed his bloodshot eyes with the heel of his palm and swayed around groggily.

"Thirty-two thousand _yen_ " said the man as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it was.

"Are they leather-bound _yen_?"

The baffled man knitted his eyebrows together "... of course not"

"Sorry, I need leather-bound _yens_ to go with my _wallet._ Next!" Kojima-san slapped his hand on the bell after his sarcastic quip.

The man's face swelled up with anger until the collar of his dress shirt almost choked him. He shoved his wallet back into his pocket and stormed off.

' _Ah, good times'_

Inane questions never ceased to annoy her employer. Chizuru watched as the other customers went back to browsing for books. Kojima-san grumbled incoherently and settled back to reading his autobiography and kicked his feet up onto the table. He lit himself another cigarette. Well, she couldn't have that now, could she. Chizuru counted him going through at least three cancer-sticks during her shift. She couldn't smell it, but it was time she did something about it anyway. She marched over to the back room and took out a bottle of their citrus air freshener she'd bought.

She sprayed it all over her employer.

"OI! WHA-! HEY! You useless chipmunk! Cease this at _once!_ " He fell off his chair with an unceremonious bang. Chizuru stopped and capped it. She smiled innocently while he floundered on the floor like a fish out of water. He heaved himself up by grabbing hold of his overflowing table and dumped himself back onto his ratty old chair.

"Three cigarettes is the limit, boss" she said while smiling.

"You do realise that air-freshener only _hides_ the smoke. It doesn't actually make it disappear. So ha! Your lungs are still dying" he snapped at her with pure derision. He wrangled himself out of his old jacket and threw it into the corner as it took the brunt of her air-freshener attack. "Oh wait, I forgot you can't _smell_ anything. So what's the point of that?" he grimaced at her and waved his hands to dismiss her.

"Smoking is a nasty habit" she replied.

"Your Hobbit friend has a nasty habit..." he grumbled.

" _He's not my friend!"_ she groaned. She knew exactly who he was referring to. The only other male around her age and short stature who constantly dropped in and out of the bookshop like a typhoon.

 _Ding ding!_

"Look what the cat dragged in! Hey Frodo, take this _'she-hobbit'_ out somewhere to destroy the 'One Ring' before she destroys my charming, five-star shop" Kojima-san waved his hands at the door, in the direction of the ringing bell above the shop door.

Teru-fucking-nori Kuga in all his Tootsuki uniform glory and his huge ego stood at the threshold with a large grin on his face.

"Causing trouble again, Namikaze?" he replied cheekily.

"No I haven't and my shift isn't over!" yelled Chizuru.

One other ugly thing that came out of the punkass midget's regular visits was that he wasn't at all scared at Kojima-san. Kojima-san's insults tended to be sharper, heavier, and worse than her own but for now Terunori hadn't done anything to truly aggravate her nihilistic employer to the point he was on the receiving end of those insults, but every now and again, they did banter in their strange odd way. It was like this wild-haired boy warmed up to anyone no matter who they were or which parts of hell they hailed from.

She felt Terunori's hands suddenly grip her shoulders and he yanked her work apron off of her. She yelped at the sudden jerk. Just in time, her arms reflexively caught her school bag being thrown over the table at her by Kojima-san and before she knew it, Terunori her pushed out the door and onto the busy streets of Karakura honchou in the blink of an eye.

 _'Ugh... not this again...'_

"So where do you want to go?" Terunori pretended like nothing just happened and folded his arms behind is head.

Chizuru sighed. She could already hear her miserable and incorrigible employer ripping open a fresh packet of cigarettes. Oh, what the hell...

"I dunno, I saw a new cafe opened up a couple of months ago across the street, just further down. I heard it's a franchise from the UK" she said nonchalantly. She noticed that he didn't carry with him a plastic bag with a box of his _Sichuan_ cuisine food in it this time but chose not to question it.

"Alrighty, let's go!" Terunori forcefully linked his elbows with hers and dragged her down the street, her protests falling on deaf ears.

This annoying punkass midget was always _touching_ her in some way. She _hated_ people touching her without permission. Whether it be grabbing her hand to make sure she took his tupperwares, slapping her on the back (which stung like a bitch), poking her in the face or really, just grabbing her upper arm and pulling her from place to place. She even smacked him around the back of the head now and again which always ended up in a curse-word-filled screaming match, but he still endevoured to annoy her.

Chizuru huffed and puffed when they made it to the aforementioned cafe. She looked up at the sign just before Terunori tugged her to the front of the line. It was called _Speedy's_ _Sandwich Bar & Cafe_ and despite its name, they didn't have particularly fast moving service. Maybe the owner's name was _Speedy?_ Maybe they sold amphetamines on the side? Whatever, it was a Western style cafe and it looked quite nice.

" _Hey, you can't just cut the line"_ she hissed into his ears, her nose wrinkling at his wild strands of his blonde-dyed her tickling her nose. She avoided eye contact with the people queuing up who were looking a bit miffed as Terunori bulldozed his way through.

"Hell yeah, I can. One of the perks of being one of the Elite Ten at Tootsuki is that we can cut _any line_ at cafes and restaurants" He flashed her some sort of gold card with the Tootsuki school crest on it. "We leave them reviews with some extra tipping if they're good. It pushes them up in ranking for the _'Japan Food Guide'._ Actually, us being here is already give them a good name" he continued to boast at her.

"Welcome to Speedy's! An Elite from Tootsuki? Well right this way guys _"_ said a chippy waiter staring at the gold card Terunori was holding up. He ushered them inside to a well located set of table and a cafe chairs. Chizuru gingerly sat down and placed her book bag on the floor. She mumbled her thanks when the waiter handed her a menu. It was basically a piece of paper clipped to a clipboard. She looked around, everybody was eating off of some sort of miniature chopping board. Alas, the new contagious food trend that's been gripping the nation.

' _This is... not too bad'_

It was a bustling cafe and it was filled to the brim with people. It was a good sign of productivity. She looked over at the small group of people waiting outside who were still giving her and Terunori the evil eye. She looked up at the said boy to see what reaction he had to the decor of _Speedy's Sandwich Bar & Cafe, _but he was paying all his attention the menu, flipping it up and down as if he was an investor perusing the finance section of a newspaper. She played with a few strands of her short hair and a vintage looking blackboard with more menu items on it hanging on the wall caught her interest.

It was written in both Japanese and English.

If she had a bone to pick with this place, it was the English translation on that board.

"Keep staring at the special's board and you'll set the place on fire" came a sharp snarky remark. She looked up into Terunori's cheeky face as he smirked at her. Since when had he been watching her? His eyes danced with a mischievous fire. He leaned forward until his loosened tie was pretty much lying on top of the table. He still wore a black undershirt which she could see from his open-collar. He dressed like Kuchiyose-kun. Sloppy.

"It says _'smashed avocado on toast'_ there in English" Chizuru pointed out. 'English' was only subject she was better in than Ayame-chan.

Terunori shrugged.

"Since when did we abuse our avocados? What, we gotta belt the shit out of our food before we can enjoy it? It's not _'smashed avocado',_ it's _'mashed avocado'_. For it to be _'smashed avocado'_ you gotta scrape it off all four walls after jumping on it. Now that's _'smashed avocado'_. They're wasting room on their blackboard. They've got an _'s'_ that doesn't need to be there. They could just put _'mashed avocado'_. Actually! They could just write _'avocado on toast'_! I'll presume it ain't a whole avocado sitting on a piece of bread!" she finished ranting.

"You're mistaking me for someone who gives a shit" said the delinquent looking student opposite her.

"You better put down everything I just said in your food review" replied Chizuru, tapping her finger on her napkin.

"Fuck no. You have serious issues" Terunori pointed at her with his menu. "Have you picked out what you wanna eat yet?" Terunori leaned back and snapped his fingers. Like magic, the same waiter came running.

Chizuru sighed again.

" _...smashed avocado on toast..."_

* * *

 **OK! Breathe Takumi! Breathe!** **One think at a time please. Find out if Ayame's pregnant first and** _ **then**_ **feel free to go hysterical! That boy can't think straight when it comes to these things. But then again, who can? Good on you Isami for staying in the background ready to provide back-up if Takumi gets ripped to shreds on the phone.**

 **The Japanese word for "periods" is** _ **gekkei**_ **(** **月経** **or** **げっけい** **), which is a word Takumi is** _ **not**_ **familiar with in Japanese. Fortunately for him, Isami knows and is able to translate it for him lol. Takumi had probably fainted too many times in sex ed, or he sticks his fingers in his ears and goes 'lalalalala!' when someone starts mentioning it haha! Poor Ayame having to spell it out to him haha.**

 **Aha! Kojima-san has struck again! and Terunori's made it a mission to be a belligerence to Chizuru! How long until she cracks?**

 **Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	32. Reshuffle: Alice vs Rindou part 1

**Haaa... yeah I'm far too behind schedule than I'd ever imagined... could I ask for forgiveness?**

 **Also thank you for those who checked out** _ **Medica Materia**_ **the oneshot about Hisako and another one of my OC, Daisuke! Your feedback had been amazing! If you guys haven't read it, I'd love it if you checked it out :)**

 **Don't forget to visit the poll on my profile page and vote for your favourite OC (Ayame, Chizuru and Kuchiyose) in** _ **'A Touch of Saffron'**_ **:D Also check out what the public voted for.**

 **So this is the next match between Alice and Rindou :D Please enjoy!**

* * *

 _Chapter 32 - Elite Ten Reshuffle Competition: Alice vs. Rindou part 1_

* * *

Alice hummed and twiddled her thumbs together. Ten more minutes and she would be out there facing off against one of Tootsuki's _alumni_. It was such an honour and she counted herself lucky that Rindou-senpai would be the one to taste the arse-kicking Alice had planned for her. Her skin buzzed with the electrifying anticipation from the impending battle and she felt a chuckle bubble from the cusp of her larynx. The others thought they had a lucky escape, but Alice relished the fine moment as soon as Isshiki-senpai announced that she and Rindou-senpai would be paired.

 _She would battle against a former Elite and she wouldn't have it any other way._

The only complaint the silver-haired Nakiri had was that the crafty crimson-haired succubus was _not allowed_ to execute her skills past Eizan-senpai's level by Isshiki-senpai's decree. She did a mental scoff. Seriously? Isshiki-senpai thought he was doing her a favour, but Alice had stamped her feet, trying to use her petulance to her advantage to make the ever benevolent _senpai_ to change his mind. He remained as unmoving as the mountains and merely grinned at her with all the innocence in the world. If she wasn't an intelligent woman she would tell him how outrageously absurd and patronising it was. However, with a biting grimace, she remembered that technically Eizan-senpai was supposed to be competing but since that he was doing time for his crime, she supposed finding a person who was Eizan-senpai's level or at least 'mimic' it was the best he could do. _Gud,_ Isshiki-senpai was such a golden boy ever since he took on the mantle of being the unofficial leader of the Elite Ten council despite being only a seventh seater. Maybe it was because nobody else was bothered to take on the responsibility so he saw an opportunity and swiped it. Either way, she will force her female opponent to give her a challenge worthy of the name, no holding back or any of that nonsense.

Alice moved her fingers to twist her lone silver tress. She couldn't stand sitting on the low-standard couch any longer and rose up onto the balls of her feet. She clasped her slender fingers lightly behind her back and rocked to and fro on the balls of her feet. With no Ryou-kun in sight, as she sent him off to the viewing box, she hummed a sweet tune as she watched the large TV screen mounted on the off-beige walls of the waiting room.

"Well, you don't look worried at all. I'm pleased. If you did, then this match wouldn't be worth that free plane trip, courtesy of Tootsuki"

A voice dripping with the unnatural mix of acid and honey interrupted her thoughts.

Kobayashi Rindou was by the door. One of her slim arms was raised languidly above her head, leaning wholly against the door frame as if she was posing for a mature magazine. She rested her head against her upper arm like a pillow, her flowing crimson-red hair mussed up slightly on the side of her head tha was leaning against her outstretched arm. Her predatory eyes glittered with cold and playful mirth as she regarded Alice and a sharp pearly white tooth peeked from between her thin smirking lips. Those sharp eyes were starting to crawl beneath Alice's skin but she didn't let it get to her. Instead, Alice held her head up high, a habit bestowed upon by the Nakiri lineage and refused to show any intimidate towards the former second seater. She casted her a sugary-sweet smile of her own. Rindou-senpai's lips curled into a bigger smirk, bordering on sneering as she shifted a bit until her hips jutted to the side and her ankles crossed together.

' _Let the trash talk begin'_

"Don't worry, I'm going to make you wish you paid for your own trip" Alice chittered back at her from behind her fingers.

Rindou-senpai's chuckle was dry and sultry as she pulled herself up to her full height, and propped her hands on her hips. Her eyes of molten gold flashed with a hint of barely veiled savageness. Alice had once admired the sleek panther standing before her. The way she carried herself so highly despite not a drop of noble blood and the way she strutted to the beat of her own drum was enthralling to watch. She was carefree, hedonistic and whimsical. She commanded attention without even trying and she knew it. Everything she did, she owned it and made no apologies to anyone. Why should she? She lived with no regrets and that was what Alice had always wanted to be ever since she was a middle schooler. She saw her future self like Rindou-senpai.

"Oh really now? You think you could shame me so hard in front of my alma mater? Darling, you're still decades too early for that"

She stepped into the room with the grace of an Amazonian warrior. Rindou-senpai licked her lips, not sure if it was intentional or on reflex and Alice could feel her own fighting spirit rising. She turned to face her front on and folded her arms under her bust, pinning Rindou-senpai with a stare to show how calm she was. The calm before the Scandinavian blizzard.

"Then I guess we should get going, old hag. Wouldn't want to waste any more time before you forget your whisk from your spoon in your decrepit old age"

Alice didn't miss the way the corner of Rindo-senpai's feline eyes twitch imperceptibly. In a nano-second her annoyance towards Alice's cheap shot at her age and seniority was gone and her cool composure slid back into place like nothing happened. She released a haughty 'hmph' but said nothing more. She should know she walked herself right into that one. After all, the real fight was in the cooking, not the words. Alice continued to stare down at her opponent, communicating through her eyes how much she would enjoy serving her up on a silver platter with an apple shoved in her mouth. As much as she had admired her in the past, Alice wanted to be more than Rindou-senpai. The crimson-haired girl just wasn't going to cut it anymore. The way she saw it now, with all the crazy things that had happened to her from _Ragnarok_ and back in the past few years or so, Rindou-senpai started looking like a tiny stepping stone in the cosmic scheme of things. Alice ultimately believed that she was so much more capable than the talented former second-seater could ever represent.

Her passionate embers for cooking was back with full force.

' _I have Byakko to thank for that'_

Deep in her heart, she probably owed Yukihira a tepid nod too.

Alice didn't need to look at the clock to know that she should be making her own way to the long stadium tunnels. The increasing echo of applause told her that the swarm were getting pumped up for the awaited third match of the week. She sauntered passed Rindou-senpai without batting an eyes. She could feel the other girls gaze searing in her as she walked by. Soon she and Rindou-senpai walked side by side, sending tense sparks into the air as they made their way out of the waiting room and into the dark depths of the tunnel beneath the audience seats. While her opponent dangled her knife case from her fingers without snapping her knuckles off, the Danish Nakiri already had her kitchen utensils set up along with her mini-van filled with hi-tech cooking appliances at the stadium.

Staring into the light at the end of the tunnel instantly reminded her of her encounter with Byakko yesterday along with her cousin and Ryou-kun. Her heart didn't clench like she expected and she was relieved for that. Perhaps closure was creeping into her system and it was a strange welcome from the suffocation she imprisoned herself in for so long. She felt a chaste phantom kiss upon her forehead when she stepped by the exact spot she had flung herself into Byakko's arms and she resisted the urge to rub her forehead.

" _The contestant for today is Nakiri Alice and Kobayashi Rindou!"_ blared the emcee.

The two young ladies emerged into the over-bearing stadium lights and both were assaulted by the whoops and cheering bursting from the massive crowd. Alice painted an confident smile and wave politely, keeping up her 'nice-girl' act. She spied Rindou-senpai from the corner of her eyes who was blowing shameless kisses into the crowd and as she guessed, the thumping hearts of the male students started over-taking the applause like a DJ dropping the bass.

' _Ryou-kun you might have won by a hair's breadth yesterday, but let me show you how it's done'_

Ryou-kun's victory yesterday was no less than expected so she didn't feel the need to be proud. Obviously her aide couldn't read her mind despite popular belief, but she still took comfort in talking to a fictional version of him in her head. She imagined him staring blanking at her as she preferred him to be placid in her presence.

Alice and Rindou-senpai stepped up to their cooking stations, faced the judges and bowed to them in respect as the pre-battle ritual. The judges were leaning against the panel, inciting another challenge from the contestants to make their dishes better than yesterday's and make their stay worth it. Well, there was no way she was going to disappoint the commercial food heavyweights of Japan Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, and the Internationally-acclaimed doctor from the top University of Japan, Haruno Sakura. Their eyes bored into hers.

Then she felt _his_ fierce gaze drilling into the back of her head.

 _She told him not to come._

Alice let her smile drop momentarily as she chanced a casual look over her shoulder and found herself caught in the deep and hypnotising eyes of Kuchiyose Byakko. Of course he couldn't give a shit about her request for him not to come. He stood tall in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass of the top viewing box. He was in his school uniform which meant he skipped school yet again, just to come and see her compete. Her heart did a small flutter at the thought that he wanted to be here. His hands were deep in his pockets. His face was set in a blank expression, but his eyes told her more than she needed to know about what he was feeling. They gazed at her with such heart-stopping intensity as if he hadn't laid eyes on her in a hundred years. At least that was as close as to what she guessed was emitting through his dark hazel eyes. His touseled lilac hair was thrown up into a careless half ponytail which Alice knew he only did when he was feeling lazy. She imagined his muscles were all coiled up and his nose flaring down at her. Byakko was competitive in his soul which resembled a great tiger taking down another tiger from dominance. Hence he gave his opponents a damn good thrashing in soccer, and when he was off the field, his competitiveness dissipated back into the murky depths until he needed it again, but his leftover adrenaline was usually a problem. It was something Alice found was both a…blessing and a curse… depending on how one looked at it... mostly a blessing. Leftover adrenaline meant it still had to be burned off one way or another before it got him into trouble… which he had always left the job up to her to find 'exciting' ways to burn it off...

She bit her lip at the nostalgic memories and her eyes travelled to the two people next to him. It was Ryou-kun who almost mirrored her ex-boyfriend's posture and Erina who sat poised on a plush armchair.

Yep, he was still her ex-boyfriend.

Even after she confessed to him the full circumstances of their notorious break-up it wasn't the traditional happy ending. Her version. _The truth,_ and they still weren't together. She couldn't let them. What did Erina and Ryou-kun expect? Their relationship to magically mend itself? No, they had been apart for too long to go back to the way things were. What Alice didn't expect however was for Byakko to be absolutely _livid._ Angry, yes, but _murderous_ , no. She remembered feeling the simmering growl rumbling in his chest and seeing the massive twitch of the artery in his neck as he resisted the beastly urge to lose it for her sake. She remembered the subtle tensing and untensing of his muscles as he tightened his hold on her. It scared her and comforted her at the same time. Out of the whole story, he was abnormally fixated on _'how' Fader_ found out about their taboo relationship.

 _When did he find out?_

 _Who told him?_

 _How did he know it was him of all people?_

 _How did he even know his dream career?_

 _How did he know where he lived?_

 _How did he know which school he attended?_

 _How did he know his family's financial situation?_

 _Where did he get all this information?_

She just knew that _Fader_ had somehow found out and that scared her too much to think where he got his hands on such information. Byakko kept asking about the man _Fader_ introduced as the one to break his legs and decimate his future soccer career if Alice didn't break off their relationship. Alice admitted that she knew next to nothing about that man except that he was just an associate. A _creepy_ associate.

She didn't know his name.

All she remembered about that young lanky man standing beside the laptop with _Fader's_ furious face on the screen, on that fateful day was how sadistic and joyful he looked. Those dark _djævel_ red eyes were like a pit of cruelty and it haunted her for days, snapping at her heels. It was like his _knew_ all and could _see_ all. She feared her _Fader_ and she feared this man almost just as much. It was like he couldn't wait to sledgehammer Byakko's shins anyway even though he was twirling his switchblade casually between his fingers.

' _And that ratty fur-lined jacket had seen better days'_

Trust Alice to critique somebody's fashion choice as much as she critiqued a dish, even if it was a traumatising experience. Alice finally tore her eyes away from her ex-boyfriend and faced Rindou-senpai. She sent a wink her way and Alice smirked back.

" _The theme today is_ _ **Nature**_ _. You may begin cooking… NOW!"_

The gong rang loud and proud.

Alice pressed a remote in her pocket and the shutters of her mini-van slid open with a loud rattle like a _Transformers_ robot, revealing the gleaming and precisely organised cutting-edge cooking appliances inside.

' _Let the show begin!'_

* * *

Rindou felt right at home in the spotlight. It was like being the lead actor in a play or theatre, or the _prima donna_ of an opera or ballet, all rolled into one. This was what she _lived for._ She thought she left Tootsuki in the good hands of the ninety-second generation which the old-man-Nakiri had knighted as the _Crowning Jewels_ but she would just see for herself to see if they deserved such a knighthood _._ Rindou flipped her luscious into a high pony tail, rolled up her uniform sleeves and got to work. She cranked her oven into preheat and turned on her ice-cream machine.

"Just so you know Alice-chan! I'll be making an extra serving just for you to try!" she called out as if the little Danish pastry was her long-time friend.

"What a coincidence, I planned to do the same for you!" She replied back as any BFF would.

Rindou chuckled lowly and started immediately on the _**almond and praline cream**_ **.** She stirred the glucose and almonds together until they coated like morning dew and baked it in the oven on her lined tray until they were golden and caramelised. Humming at the same time, she then transferred the nuts into a thermomix along with some almond oil, blending it at high speed with small additions of sugar, the praline paste and salt until they were completely combined. Next she brought the cream and milk to the boil on the stove. Rindou flitted her eyes over to the judges who were looking curiously. She licked her lips when the indigo-haired CEO hottie glanced her way. Rindou squeezed out the excess water from the gold-leaf gelatin she had soaking earlier and dissolved it gently into the hot cream and milk mixture, stirring with the precision of a sand-artist. Then she poured her molten mixture into the thermomix with the praline paste until a new smooth paste was formed. Rindou sniffed the aromatic praline mix and placed it in a bowl and threw it into the fridge.

"How are you going Alice-chan! Holding up okay there?" Rindou called out over her shoulder.

"As good as the first fifteen minutes could get!" she called back just as jovially.

Rindou turned back to her task at hand. Right now was the _**lavender cream**_. She simmered some more cream and added the delicate lavender, leaving it to steep for ten minutes. After it was up, she brought it back to a simmer and then passed it through a _chinois,_ discarding the lavender out at the end. She then poured it into a blender and let it whirl until it created a vortex whilst she poured in the sugar and expertly cracked only the egg yolks, straight from the shell. She gently dropped in the left over gold-leafed gelatin into the lavender cream mix. Its soothing scent mixed with the sweet cream was nothing short of wonderful. She delicately measured out half a gram of _carrageenin iota powder_ into the blender. This was a compound derived from red seaweed used for soft elastic gels in cooking she brought over from overseas.

The little Danish pastry wasn't the only one who dabbled in molecular gastronomy.

Now it was time for the _**chocolate cream**_. Rindou worked through it like clockwork. This theme that Isshiki-kun had pulled from his butt was actually quite interesting and she couldn't wait to dive head-first into her well of creativity to conjure up her interpretation of 'nature' _ **.**_ Ever since she started working in the US, she'd absorbed a lot of the idiosyncratic styles of the American food trends ranging from gourmet all the way to street food. The vibrant and sleepless city of New York became her new home as soon as she started her intense full time job with one of the five-star restaurants owned by one of the mega-conglomerates of the Western world. She worked her way into becoming the sou-chef through bucket loads of blood, sweat and everybody else's tears. She wasn't a cryer. Never was and never will. Her drastic sea-change after graduation was the best thing that ever happened to her. As soon as she had stepped onto the American pavement since landing, she felt her spiritual wings burst forth.

 _New York_ was where she thrived.

Rindou finished her chocolate cream and glanced back at Alice again. It looked like she was making some sort of green apple sorbet. So far, she had a _green_ theme going. How typical, Rindou only hoped that her interpretation of the theme 'nature'was more than just slapping futuristic green alien food on the plate or into a conical flask. The crimson-haired chef started on her own _**sour cherry sorbet**_. Rindou glided gracefully across her kitchen station and heated the glucose in water over the stove until it was just right. While that was happening, she placed the sugar and sorbet stabilizer in a bowl, added the glucose when it was ready and whisked it at the optimal higher temperature. Rindou grabbed the cherry puree and poured it over the heated sugar mixture and blended it together with the stick blender until it was a glossy and smooth. When it was done, she placed it over an ice bath. She couldn't help dipping in a finger and tasting the addictive and refreshing punch of the berries. She released her finger with a quite pop and moaned, caressing her tongue all over the inside of her mouth as her lids fluttered closed, focusing on the sexy cherry flavour. When she opened her eyes, the audience eyes were gawking at her, just the way she liked it too. Especially when the boy's mind went extinct. Once the cherry puree was cooled enough, she popped it into the ice-cream machine and churned it before putting it into the freezer.

"Alice-chan! I heard NASA and _Nakiri International_ are in the works to create food astronauts could enjoy in space since the stuff they eat now is pretty bad as bad gets. Is that true?" rang out Rindou as she began her _**chocolate crumble.**_

"NASA made the right choice to come to us. So yeah, be ready to see Nakiri approved gourmet food being sent up into space in the next few years! I will personally see that happen" the silver-haired Nakiri replied back with such excitement.

Rindou felt something barbaric stir in her heart.

"Well I hope you get to bring your boy-toy to Denmark with you, since that's where all the action will be happening" said Rindou without missing a beat.

She watched with unnerving giddiness as Alice faltered in her grasp of her ISI 1L mousse gun as she seemed to be in the middle of preparing some sort of yoghurt foam. Rindou took in every iota of apprehension and anxiety which danced through those ruby-red eyes which one would mistake for utter concentration. Oh, she knew all about that little water-works display with that boy-toy of hers. Rumours circulated that the tall, handsome stranger she saw lingering like a wraith in the shadows of the stadium tunnels was her ex-boyfriend and the two shared some sort of Romeo and Juliet complex that resulted into something disastrous. Well, the rumours were actually more like Rindou eavesdropping on them and _about_ to spread them, but what the hell, they're bound to seep into the pool of false stories and lies, drunk up by the rest of the student population anyway. She might as well… give it a nudge towards the inevitable. That was how scandals worked. Hence the term 'worst kept secrets'.

The little Danish pastry just huffed and ignored Rindou after that, which evoked a chuckle from her. This was so fun! Well if she wasn't going to take the bait, it wouldn't do her any harm in throwing another bone at her until she got a reaction she could pull and tease with no mercy. Rindou flipped her hair back and squared her shoulders as she moved through the finishing touches of her _**chocolate crumble**_ element.

"I hope you're alright. I mean, what kind of guy makes a girl cry like that? You really know how to pick them. But still, it was brave of you to aim for the forbidden fruit because hell hath no fury like a _father_ scorned" Rindou taunted further.

Her opponent remained silent as if she didn't hear a word, but she knew each word slammed into Nakiri Alice no matter how hard she tried to erect that fortress of cold indifference that Nakiri's were so good at. Call her a bitch or whatever, but Rindou wasn't above playing dirty, especially in the emotional aspects. A chef's cooking ability stretched as far as their mental strength. If their mind wasn't strong enough to handle the pressure, _any type of pressure,_ then it was all on them and Rindou had spent years of honing the ability dig under her opponent's skin in _shokugeki's_.

It was when Rindou was in the middle of making _**green tea moss**_ when Nakiri Alice answered back.

"Your mouth is moving more than your hands! How about you get back to the _real fight_ before I put your mouth to good use and make you suck—"

* * *

" _ONE HOUR TO GO!"_

Alice tuned out Rindou-senpai and her annoying sniping after she shot back with something unpleasant of her own. She hoped her once-upon-a-time idol heard it over the emcee just then. Please… those sorts of asinine traditions were supposed to be done _before_ the fight and stay in the cliched locker room. If Rindou-senpai insisted in carrying the trash-talking out onto the battle field also, then Alice would humour her to a point. Alice wondered if her years out of Japan after graduating had dulled her concentration. The Danish Nakiri was focused on her tasks at hand, executing her techniques with the precision of a surgeon and she had no time to deal with nonsense. She would be lying if she thought the barbs about Byakko didn't irritate her more than the ones directed soley at her, but she squelched down the feeling. A thousand questions about how Rindou-senpai new about their… predicament… threatened to hound her, but she jammed them all into a box so she could focus on this competition. She could think about it all she wanted after it was over.

During their back and forth banter, Alice caught a glimpse of what laid under the manipulative façade the former second-seater erected. She reminded her a bit of Eizan-senpai, only a more annoying and girl version of him. She found glee with messing with people heads, distracting them from what she was cooking. She and Eizan-senpai played dirty. Was this why Isshiki-senpai asked her to come back to compete in his stead? Perhaps.

Alice, went through her mental checklist of all the elements she had completed.

' _I've done the_ _ **caramel centre, pistachio mousse, green apple sorbet, the white chocolate matcha coating, apple blossom pearl, the matcha moss,**_ _and preparation for_ _ **nitro lime yoghurt foam**_ _. I'm more than halfway there.'_

The caramel centre was to go in the centre of the frozen pistachio mousse which would be moulded into perfect spheres and freeze. Then those perfect spheres were to be coated in tempered white chocolate matcha, while everything else would garnish around it. Purposeful and delicious garnish of course!

Not once did Alice thought she had bitten off more than could chew when she decided to make a dessert dish consisting of _eleven elements._

 _Eleven!_

Ha! Take that Ryou-kun! This will beat his eight-textured chocolate to _Valhalla_ and back! Of course she practiced this dish many times over in the past, although at the time it was only a simplified version of what she was creating now. 'Simplified' meaning it only had four elements at first and in the last twenty-four hours, Alice had improvised six more elements especially for this occasion.

Byakko was the first person to try her protoype eleven-element dish yesterday.

It was after she had calmed down enough to remember that she should've been preparing for this day. She had offhandedly dismissed him to go home but he well… wasn't budging anywhere so she had begrudgingly allowed him to stay in her club-room to watch her work. He probably had wanted to compensate for all those times they've been torn apart. She allowed the warmth of the memory of him taking his first bite of her dessert in over a year, overtake her and guide her the rest of the way. His eyes had never once left hers as he had slipped his first spoonful into his mouth, sucking the frozen dessert gently off of it and had swallowed it slowly. Alice had unconsciously mirrored his movements and swallowed her own pooling saliva thickly as she watched his prominent Adam's apple bob up and down. She hadn't known what she had done until his small smirk brought her out of her long deprived musings. She had missed that. She had missed watching Byakko eat her creations and happiness that consumed her. Her creations for _him_ and the warmth and emotions it cascaded her with.

Alice made lightning-fast work on the _**dulce crémeux**_. First she heated the white Swiss chocolate and then caramelised it until it was golden. She then soaked her gelatine leaves and at the same time brought the milk in the saucepan to a boil. Alice turned her attention to her next set of ingredients. She whisked together sugar, egg yolks and corn flour until it was light and creamy. She poured the warm milk over the egg mixture and whisked them like her life depended on it. She returned the whole mixture back to the stove and slowed down her movements into delicate stirs until it coated the whisk beautifully. Once she deemed it thick enough, she added butter and mixed it together until it was fully incorporated, then she added the gelatine she had soaking to the warm _crème pâtissière_ and continued to whisk it until it dissolved. Once that was done, Alice plucked the bowl of melted caramelised white chocolate from earlier and stirred it into the _crème pâtissière_ and then strained it through a fine sieve into her stick blender canister and set it aside to the fridge to cool. Once it was cool, she blitzed it until it was silky smooth and transferred it to the piping bag. That was the eighth element down. She did a mental fist pump at her mental Ryou-kun.

"I need to leave half an hour to assemble…" she murmured to herself.

She didn't bother looking over at Rindou-senpai and instead ploughed onto the next element, the _**pistachio sponge**_. This element was a little 'unconventional' as it involved having to use a microwave of all things to make a bloody sponge cake! It was built into her little minivan. Technology was technology and she wasn't going to use the oven, just so she could make little sponge cake circles if there was a quicker and easier method. She couldn't stop the images of Erina finding out that one could make a cup-a-cake in a microwave by throwing all the ingredients into a mug and just zap it on high heat. She placed all the ingredients for the _matcha_ green sponge and then transferred it to another one of her ISI mousse gun and promptly charged it twice. The great thing about using a mousse gun for the sponge cake was the how it _aerated_ the cake mix so that it was super-duper light and fluffy! She discharged the mousse gun into four paper coffee-cups (she could already feel the Nakiri ancestors howling from their shrines) until it was half full. Then she placed them into the microwave on high heat for forty-five seconds until it was cooked through and puffed up just as she predicted. Once it was done, she cut and peeled away the coffee cups gently, as to not damage the delicate and aerated sponge and placed them into an airtight container. She looked up at the judges, trying to gauge their thoughts and feelings at this point. So far Uzumaki-san seemed to be amused by what had verbally transpired before them. _Doktor_ Haruno had her phone in her manicured hands, probably answering her work emails. However, Uchiha-sama remained the same as he was since the beginning, except with his eyes closed in a meditative state. Suddenly a burst of cheering erupted from the side and she chanced a look to see the embarrassing _Polar Star Dormitory_ inhabitants cheering for her.

" _YOU CAN DO IT ALICE-CHII! POLAR STAR REPRESENT! WOOOOO!"_

The silver-haired Nakiri wondered when on earth had she become part of that rag-tag crew of misfits and who gave them to right to call her as their own? If she was in Erina's position, she would've cringed from the cloying words and pretended not to know them, but since she wasn't, she decided to be a good sport about it and flashed them one of her famous diplomatic smiles. This stunt must've had been under Yukihira's influence.

Once her pistachio sponge was done, the oversized clock hand struck six.

" _Thirty minutes to go!"_

Time to assemble.

* * *

Rindou licked the corners of her lips as she chucked her kitchen utensils she no longer needed into the sink. She pushed everything to the side to make room for assembling her masterpieces. She had made eleven elements just like Nakiri Alice did. She wanted to give a salute for her underclassman to pull all eleven elements s within two hours just as she had done and with the same speed. The second-string Nakiri sure had grown a lot since Rindou had last saw her and as soon as the match had begun, there would be no room for disappointment in this hearty battle.

Rindou saw it was time to finish off the three different types of cream she had reserved in the mini-fridge. The almond and praline cream, the lavender cream and the chocolate cream. She removed the creams and whisked them one by one in the electric mixer until medium peaks formed and the cream was smooth and able to hold itself, then transferred each of the them into separate piping bags.

With half an hour left, she saw it fit to assemble too, just as the little Danish pastry was doing. She piped the lavender cream, the soft chocolate cream and the almond and praline cream into the base of her serving bowl, and sprinkled it with a delicate shower of the _**almond brittle**_ she had already prepared. Next she gently placed a disc of _**tempered chocolate**_ on top and pressed it down lightly. She happily piped another amount of the chocolate cream in the dead centre of the chocolate dish. This was so that she could sprinkle her _**chocolate soil**_ in place. She did so with gusto as it evenly tumbled over the chocolate dish and the chocolate cream to form a small cute mound. Rindou felt her heart quicken as the adrenaline pumped through her as the finish line would soon be breathing down her neck. She exhaled noisily as she added a teaspoon of her _**cherry brandy jelly**_ cubes over the plate. Her visual and gustatory masterpiece was slowly coming together. She couldn't rush this. The former second-seater sprinkled a little of the _**green tea moss**_ evenly over the chocolate soil and then added the _**crystallised fennel fronds**_ around the floor of the serving bowl.

' _Mother Nature is as beautiful as she is complex'_

Rindou brought over her tray of _**tempered chocolate twigs.**_ What was 'nature' without elements that actually looked like 'nature'? Rindou picked the _**elderflower**_ blossoms from their twigs and scattered it around her centre pieces like a fairy ring. And then topped it with small clumps of _**finger lime pearls**_.

 _Tick_

 _Tick_

 _Tick_

Her internal clock pounded relentlessly and she felt time begin to draw closer like the bitch she was. Rindou ran her tongue over her teeth as her vision suddenly sharpened and everything before her was crystal clear. The shining moment! She finally added a _quenelle_ of the sour cherry sorbet right in the centre of her nest of chocolate twigs.

* * *

Alice had no time to lose now.

She spooned the _**moss crumb**_ on the base of four plates and made a well in the centre of them. She piped five dots of the _**dulce cémeux**_ inside each well and around the moss crumb as well. She quickly retrieved the _**matcha chocolate coated pistachio mousse balls with caramel centres**_ from the airtight container in the fridge and sat is it in the well of the crumbs. Alice sliced the _**pistachio microwave sponge**_ to approximately three centimetres high and placed it on one side of the crumb.

" _Fifteen minutes to go!"_

She looked up at the clock on reflex, even though she heard the emcee loud and clear. She proceeded to add two _**apple blossom pearls**_ to the place and then she rested the _**dried fennel fronds**_ against the matcha ball. Alice felt excited pearls of sweat transpiring from her forehead. She was running on pure adrenaline and it was starting to make her high. The pressure right now was enormous, but it fuelled her beyond belief. She stilled her shaking hands as she cut several thin slices of green apple using a mandolin into eclipse shapes. Using a matcha powder shaker, the dusted the top of the matcha coated pistachio mousse balls and then dusted off to the side of her centre piece too.

' _Now for the exciting part!'_

Alice excitedly threw on her safety glasses and goggles. She shook the ISI gun of the _**nitro lime yoghurt foam**_ and dispensed it onto a large metal spoon. Using the second metal spoon, she carefully pushed the foam into her vat of liquid nitrogen. The metal counter top was over-flowing with the enthralling mist of the cold gas. She could hear the audience's 'oohs' and 'aahs' as it never ceased to amaze them when she broke out the fun stuff from her never-ending stash of kitchen gizmos. Her cooking styles wasn't hers unless it looked like this was coming from a laboratory. When she knew the nuggets of lime yoghurt was crisp, she used a slotted spoon to break the 'nitro' apart in the liquid nitrogen to form lovely flakes. Her face broke into a grin and removed the flakes from the liquid nitrogen and transferred them to small bowl. She then added a _rocher_ of the _**green apple sorbet**_ to one side of the matcha coated pistachio mousse balls and then placed a spoonful of the nitro lime yoghurt foam flakes on top of the sorbet _rocher_.

Finally, she garnished _**micro mint**_ around the perfectly spherical centre piece of her 'Nature' dish with a flourish

The gong resounded like a foghorn in the night. Time was up.

" _First to finish is Nakiri Alice! Please step forward_ _and_ present _your dish!"_

* * *

 **The dishes here are very detailed, so if it makes you uncomfortable or is too technical, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! It's for those who are interested in gourmet cooking. Kind of makes me realise how helpful the illustrations are in the manga ... My** _ **shokugekis**_ **are normally very detailed as my way of paying homage to the crux of the manga, however I still struggle with summarise. Let me know if you prefer a 'gentler' writing style for _shokugekis_ and I will hold back some.**

 **Until next time, stay fresh (like the Prince of Bel-Air). See you soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	33. Reshuffle: Alice vs Rindou part 2

_Chapter 33 -_ _Elite Ten Reshuffle Competition: Alice vs. Rindou part 2_

* * *

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe I missed the whole thing. How was it? Am I in time for the judging at least? How is Alice-san? What did she make?"

Ayame managed to blurt everything out at the speed of lighting, hungry for the latest update on the match. She fought to make the dizziness go away and fill her lungs to the brim with much-needed oxygen. Her chest heaved up and down, feeling ragged and ripped, but she pushed through the pain to suck in her breaths until she was sure there were significantly less rainbow swirls clouding her vision. She practically took the stairs two steps at a time, which was more exercise she got in an average year. Ayame braced her sweaty palm on her shaking knees.

"Oh you made it! Here Ayame, have some water"

Takumi-kun was right be her side before she knew it. He took her book-bag off of her and rubbed her aching shoulders, making her feel a lot better. He slipped a bottle of water between her fingers helping her to take a steady grip on the slippery plastic. She so wished that the Tootsuki Culinary Academy wasn't plastered on the side of the mountain! Taking the bus on the cusp of peak hour was still torturous. At least the bus in Minamikawase wasn't as packed as the bus at Karakura Honchou.

"How did your exam go today?" he asked politely.

"Nailed it. So what's happening now?"

Something had changed in Takumi-kun and herself ever since their first night together. It was like a thin barrier she never knew was there was finally lifted and they could explore each other a whole lot more. She felt like a new person and it was so liberating! Their spiritual and emotional intimacy now met an all-time high and she felt so much closer to him than she was before. She wondered if he felt the same thing. She blushed as rushes of joy and giddiness filled her body as he enveloped her shoulders in a tight hug. Whenever she looked at him, there was an unadulterated love in his eyes and she was sure her love for him was increasing by the day. Those heated touches, the feather-light caresses, big hugs, and his head-spinning kisses were only one facet to their progressing relationship that she very much revelled in. But it also seemed to enhance their emotional bond as lovers somehow. Ayame didn't fully understand it, but she loved it anyway.

It still threatened to melt her into a pile of steaming goo.

She expected to feel horrible, anxious and groggy after she had woken up in his arms the next morning, but she felt none of that. Instead, it was tranquillity, safety and all around pure happiness. As long as she was with Takumi-kun, she'd always be happy. They resumed their day such as showering, brushing teeth (with the spare toothbrush he kept), cooking breakfast, and washing dishes as if it were any other day and it felt so natural. Even Isami-kun didn't appear to be bothered by anything. Or maybe he was too focused on making the perfect _espresso_ to worry about a dazed girl roaming around the apartment wearing his brother's pyjama top and boxers. Perhaps all these feelings were attributed to her and her boyfriend still running on endorphins and oxytocin from that tumble into bed, and that the reality of their actions never had a chance to dawn on them.

Hmm… Nope she did not regret her decision to finally show Takumi-kun all her love for him. Then there was that awkward phone conversation she had with him where he freaked out at the prospect of her being pregnant. Takumi-kun wouldn't be Takumi-kun without throwing a huge drama over something. She felt inexplicably warm at his preparedness to sacrifice his life-long dream to stay with her and their hypothetical baby, but she also felt a sharp pang of guilt for _hypothetically_ putting him into a position where he had to choose between her and his dream…

Then he mentioned something about _Otou-san_... hmmm, that would be a very delicate operation requiring full bomb disposal gear and a remote controlled drone. But she could handle it... she hoped. Luckily _Otou-san_ was back to spending the night at the precinct so she didn't run into him when she got home.

Since it was all so _hypothetical,_ there was no use worrying about things had had been spoken in the heat of the moment.

Her body moved automatically and she chugged the refreshing liquid without a moment's hesitation, until the bottle was half empty. Once sated, she sighed and looked with into those familiar blue eyes with deep appreciation before trying to return the bottle, but he pushed it back, signalling that she should keep it to drink the rest if she was feeling parched again.

"Thanks… urgh, I hate running upstairs…" she chuckled, a bit embarrassed that Takumi-kun's friends and brother had to see her in such a dishevelled state.

"Glad you made it though. Where's Namikaze-san?" asked Yukihira-san. He smiled at her brightly, always happy to see her.

"Detention. _Again_ "

Yukihira-san guffawed. She spotted Kuchiyose-kun who was standing stock-still at the massive window and he had yet to turn around to acknowledge her presence. She smiled as he didn't need to. His mind was in other places. He had disappeared this morning after first period and it didn't take her long to figure out that he actually headed off to Tootsuki to watch Alice-san compete. Why else would he disappear for the day, including skipping his beloved soccer practice? So Ayame thought she'd do him a favour and tell his soccer team that he was feeling unwell to practice and collect his homework for him. Luckily for her, she had a free period after third period, so that meant she was allowed to leave school early and so made a mad dash so she could spend more time with Takumi-kun… and join in to spectate another brilliant, fun and heart-pumping cooking match of course! She finally had the sense to straighten her uniform, so the dreaded rumples could disappear and eagerly looked at the large television screen hanging from the stadium ceiling.

The picture on the screen made her jaw drop.

"Oh… I-It's so beautiful..!" she gasped.

 _"Si"_ Takumi-kun chuckled from behind her.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a soft peck on the cheeks as he craned his neck over her shoulder. Ayame absentmindedly trailed her finger tips over his forearms, leaning back against his warm chest. His ticklish exhales against her ears sent her hair on end and a faint blush peppering across her face. Small touches never failed to excite her, especially now that their sexuality had been completely awakened. She continued to gape at one of the four beautifully spectacular dessert on Alice-san's plates.

The first thing she thought of was _Nature,_ true to the theme Takumi-kun had told her about. The whole plate was a symphonic array of fresh _green_. The artistic shades of nature reminded her of the first seconds of spring, emerging and defrosting from the icy prisons of winter. Coming out of hibernation, craving for the warm glow of the sun to stoke it to life. A smooth glistening sphere dotted by fine, green powder of pastel green was the centrepiece of the obviously dessert dish. She wondered what was inside it! Was it a type of ice-cream? A _semi-freddo_? She salivated just thinking about it! It sat majestically on a strewn pile of verdant-green soil which stretched around as if thrown naturally, rather than precisely sprinkled. Beside the perfectly round ball of pastel green was a fluffy pillow of sponge cake which took on a deep earthy green colour. It was filled with holes and hollow pockets, almost like swiss cheese or even like the little bubbles found in the aquarium tanks. Just from looking at it alone, she imagined the soft spongy texture between her fingers and she imagined feeling it tear away with zero resistance. On the other side was an apple- green coloured sorbet shaped like a football. It looked really cute! And Ayame couldn't wait to hear what the judges would say. On the other side of the sorbet were these white flakes. _Like snowflakes!_ It really was _Nature_ emerging from the hibernation of winter. It definitely resembled the last vestiges of snow. Her tongue already felt like somebody popped a breath mint on to it and she could already taste the melting winter glazing over her mouth. The garnish she could tell was a paper-thin, delicate frond of the deepest emerald green, it lay stiff and across the side of the centre-piece sphere, its wire-like leaf curving off organically like veins. There were also beige dots of something creamy looking. When she squinted closer, something shining and bright twinkled from the hidden corners of the large glossy ball and the small piping's of cream.

"Aya… Takumi-kun, what is that?"

"Hmm?"

Ayame pointed directly at something crystal gem nestled within the dessert, but realised that the television screen was too far for Takumi-kun to pinpoint exactly what she was looking at and she probably was pointing at the whole thing overall.

"The purple flower trapped inside a crystal"

"Oh, that's called 'apple blossom pearl'" he said.

"What?"

"Basically, what Alice-san has done was mix gelatine with apple juice and orange blossom water. Let it set, diced it and put it into a cling wrap mold with a basil flower stuck in the centre"

"… So you can eat it, right?"

"Of course! Every element on the dish is to be eaten"

"Ayaaa… Takumi-kun I want to eat pretty crystal flowers so bad" Ayame spun around and flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, groaning against his uniform. _It was too much to bear!_ Beautiful dessert that she could look but couldn't touch. Her boyfriend stiffened and gagged from the surprising hug attack, but he didn't push her away. The dish was so visually stimulating, that her brain was already going into melt down from having the blessed honour of laying her eyes on it, but not taste it! Takumi-kun awkwardly patted her shoulder but Ayame didn't care and tightened her arms. She guessed inhaling his natural cedar scent would suffice for now.

"A-Ayame, the j-judging is about to start!"

Takumi-kun's adorable broken voice bubbled with embarrassment as he gently pried her arms from its hold around his neck and turned her around so that she could continue watching the tournament. Ayame sighed and relented, but Takumi-kun's hands still hadn't relinquished touching her at all. She was glad. He was still nervous about PDA from time to time it seemed. She'd have to fix that.

" _So Nakiri-san! Tell us about your take on 'Nature'?"_ said the blonde haired judge through his microphone.

The tiny figure of Alice-san walked up to the podium in front of the judging panel and confidently took the microphone from the emcee, rather than allowing her to hold it for her to speak into. Ayame watched as her beautiful red eyes lit up like embers and her beautiful full lips spread into a smile.

" _I grew up in_ Danmark _, so 'Nature' is actually a significant part of our lifestyle, culture and history. It's something I feel connected to and strongly about. Even though_ Danmark _has a lot of flat land, almost no mountains and not many rivers compared to our neighbouring countries_ Norge _and_ Sverige _, as a_ Skandinavisk, _I still appreciate the_ _beauty, richness and wonderful gifts of Mother Nature that is unique to the_ Skandinavisk _landscape"_

Ayame continued to watch as the judge's eyes brighten as they absorbed Alice-san's proud and nationalistic interpretation of 'Nature'. That certainly made sense. Ayame could definitely appreciate how modern science and cutting edge techniques that Alice-san possessed could take the judges a step back in time when 'Nature' was dominant on the planet before it was overrun with technologically obsessed humans.

" _I call my dish_ _ **Moss**_ _which I've taken inspiration from the moss covered boulders that often sit beside the Scandinavian forest river banks, which have been unmoving for hundreds of years, far from human interaction until moss eventually grows all over it. I took inspiration from the timelessness of 'Nature'. No matter what you do, what you make, how our civilisations advance. 'Nature' will always be there to preserve the Earth's inherent beauty and right the balance. It will triumph over the test of time. It is an innate part of who we are and is the foundation in which we build our life. Unfortunately, our modernised world had made us forget to tap into our connection with the beautiful world around us causing us to harm our planet. Luckily some of us are still able to appreciate the many gifts of 'Nature', like me. My dish serves as a reminder of the green beauty of 'Nature's' vitality and her healing powers. I intend to one day, bring our senses back to the green Earth through my cooking art of molecular gastronomy"_

Ayame could listen to her all day. Heck! She would _pay_ to sit in a classic Alice-delivered lecture! She could feel Takumi-kun's small nods against her shoulder. She slowly shifted her head to look at him and she was met by a tense concentration in his eyes as he was mulling what was spoken.

"Isn't Alice's molecular gastronomy, like the _epitome_ of modern technology?" asked Yukihira-san in astonishment "How is that supposed to—"

"Alice's cooking philosophy isn't _molecular gastronomy._ It's her cooking style"

Ayame's attention drew away from the sight down below to the girl she remembered as Erina sitting with her knees crossed daintily in an oversized armchair. She didn't look at either of the occupants as she spoke calmly and regally.

"Her belief is _cooking is an art that shines more brightly as you hone it._ _'Nature'_ is form of beauty that is culturally significant to Scandinavians. Alice being the culinary artisan that she is, obviously would form this perspective. She achieves this through molecular gastronomy. Those are two different concepts. You wouldn't say the famous artist, Picasso's philosophy on art is _'oil-painting'_ would you? No, it's the impressionism and surrealism that he chooses to imbue in his artworks _using_ oil-painting" Erina-san scoffed at Yukihira-san as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ah! I see, I see"

It probably wasn't to him, but he didn't look at all bothered by being cut off because she didn't think it was worth waiting for him to finish his questions. The goofy-smiling student chef merely let her acerbic words roll off his shoulders, but still considered her explanation with all the gravitas she was owed. If she was saying that directly at Ayame, she would've made some sort of counter-argument. But since what Erina-san had said made logical sense, she'd just pull the 'hurt puppy' card and somehow plant a seed of regret into Erina-san for her choice of wording and condescending tone. It worked on _Otou-san_ ten-percent of the time when he was being a smart-arse at home, which is more than what most people could claim. So it was worth a shot one day. On the other hand, if she did that to Megumi-san, she would've melted, dried up and crumbled into dust on the spot before being blown away into the plains of ignorance. That was probably why Megumi-san continued to fixed her frantic eyes on the floor-to-ceiling glass whilst listening instead of looking at Erina-san.

Ayame ceased the gears from spinning a hypothetical construct before it delved too far into the human psyche and diverted her attention back to the match. However, she made a last-minute mental note to never ever say anything 'stupid' in front of the infamous _God's Tongue_ nonetheless, and to keep Chizuru-chan in check if she were ever to have a 'conversation' with the golden-haired student.

"Ah I guess I understand enough. But it's such a contradiction between using cutting-edge science in cooking to represent something that's supposed to be, I dunno… devoid of all things created by humanity?" said Yukihira-san

"What? Where did you think _molecular gastronomy_ comes from? All chemical and biological principles originated from Nature since the creation of life, just waiting to be discovered and used by humanity. We've only just scratched the surface. Alice must first have learnt the human body and the scientific cause-and-effects of the natural world before she learnt molecular gastronomy"

' _Nature is the most beautiful science of all'_ thought Ayame in great wonder.

"Urgh…" Erina-san gagged. "It's disgusting to think that I would have to explain something so mundane—"

"A-Ah Erina-sama. Inside voice. _Inside voice._ R-Remember what we spoke about?"

The flustered rosette haired girl she remembered whose name was Arato Hisako, was shyly raising her hand up and down in an attempt to appease Erina-san. Every time Ayame saw her, she was attached to Erina-san's hip. She found it intriguing and she decided to ask Takumi-kun about her later. She languidly turned her head and acknowledged her assistant before something akin to slight embarrassment and guilt flitted across her violet orbs before she sighed dramatically and slumped back onto the cushioned backrest of her make-shift throne. She nodded and her expression resumed being blank.

"Just keep watching everybody…" she said tonelessly.

* * *

Rindou rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide it. Nobody said that contestants were supposed to prepare a philosophical essay on what they made. All that little Danish Pastry needed was a power-point slide and projector to make this a boring classroom lecture she had obviously mistaken the competition to be. Rindou thought her interpretation of the them ' _Nature'_ was simplistic at best. If she yabbered on even more in that mock-intelligent voice of hers, her dish was going to freaking-melt.

Was she trying to be altruistic? Because she was doing a horrible job at it... This dessert wasn't going to inspire people to be ditch plastic bags and hug trees.

"Thank you _Ojou-chan_. It looks like you've put a lot of effort into thinking about your dish. Eleven elements. Gee, the expectations of this school is sure high" said the blonde haired judge cheerfully.

" _Hej,_ Rindou-senpai" Rindou turned her eyes instead of her head and found Nakiri Alice stalking towards her with a plate of the _**moss**_ and silver spoon towards her. "Just like I promised, this is for you. _Nyde dit måltid"_

Her plastered-on syrupy-sweet smile dripped all over the dessert Alice handed to her.

 _ **Moss.**_

What a stupid name for a dish. Better name for a pet rock. Alice gave her a last heated look before facing back towards the judges. The crimson-haired alumnus gave the plate of hectic green a once-over herself. It was a beautiful dish; she would give it that. It was sculpted with an array of different techniques and textures, all compacted into this visually stunning display. But everybody knew that beauty was usually skin deep. Rumour had it that last year in Alice's battle against Yukihira-kun, she lost by a landslide because she focused too much on the 'looks' and hadn't considered the 'soul' of the food. That was her weakness. It could look all nice and pretty, but if the flavours didn't live up to the standard of the presentation and the consumer didn't feel a spark of _anything_ , then the dish was a joke. Would it be enough to beat her own dessert?

' _Scratch that. Would it be enough to beat an 'Eizan-level' dessert?'_

Rindou smirked widely. Like she predicted, she didn't need to show anymore of her skill than what was already agreed between herself and Isshiki-kun. She balanced the plate in one hand and used the other to crack open the giant ball of green thing.

"So what you have there is a _matcha_ chocolate coated pistachio mousse with a caramel gel centre, which sits in a bed of matcha moss of my own creation. There is a pistachio sponge and green apple sorbet. I've garnished my dessert with _dulce cremeux_ , apple blossom pearl and my nitro lime yoghurt foam!"

"Alright, let's taste" said Doctor Haruno.

Rindou followed the motions of the judges.

"Wow, the sphere is so perfectly round. The _matcha_ chocolate coating is so even, not too thin and not too thick. It's glossy quality is just gorgeous" said Doctor Haruno.

"Damn! That mousse is really smooth. It's got a great mouth-feel and has great flavour" added CEO Uzumaki.

Rindou agreed. The mousse for her was very punchy and Alice had really dived into the flavours. She let the creaminess coat her mouth tasting the rich pistachio flavours before she decided that she wasn't actually disappointed in Alice's dish at all. The tempered glazing was a thing of beauty. The satisfying crack against her fork made her smile in anticipation for how good it will feel when she bit into it with her own sharp teeth.

"Mmmm. The caramel centre is soft and oozy. I love this golden brown colour which nicely contrasts against all this green, so good job. What do you think, _teme_?"

"The caramel has a certain edge to it... it's the right colour, has a distinct flavour to it which is a definite plus to go with the pistachio mousse" said CEO Uchiha.

Rindou finally conceded and agreed with the judges' judgement. The way it oozed when she cut the sphere was so seductive. It took its time dripping from the centre and when it coated her fork, she just wanted to lick it right off and that was exactly what she did. The pleasant caramel burst across her senses and she felt the moan she was trying to hold back escape her throat like a depraved harlot! A small giggle stole shattered her attention and she flushed under Nakiri Alice's triumphant smirk.

"There's so many great elements on the plate. I mean _eleven?_ That's just staggering and seriously impressive because this can't be an easy dessert to pull off in two hours" beamed Doctor Haruno.

"Thank you for your kind words. I assure you ma'am, the skill level I've exhibited today is testament to the many hard years of training to be a top notch chef" said Alice with sickening pride.

She was glowing and Rindou wanted to gag.

"And now, the sorbet is great. It's very fresh, zesty and it lifts the whole dish. Have you tried the jelly... thing yet, Sasuke-kun?" Doctor Haruno turned in her seat, avoiding getting to close to the blonde CEO who was shovelling the dessert into his wide gob without contracting a brain freeze.

"The apple blossom pearl is beautiful and firm. That lovely orange blossom water in there adds a certain sophistication to the dish. The citrus flavours of both the green apple in the sorbet and the orange blossom water is like spring" he simply said.

Rindou almost chuckled over the fact that the judges weren't actually real food critics, so they obviously didn't always remember the exact name of every single element. Yet, the way they described food was good enough to be published in gourmet magazines. Rindou noticed the flower inside was a small basil blossom. The fragrant orange scent was refreshing and it filled her whole nasal cavity as she swallowed it, bring a light and soothing sensation down from her nose to the back of her throat. Spring indeed.

The handsome CEO continued passing his judgement "The yoghurt snow is delicious also. It's light, smooth and silky, it gives another dimension to the plate not only in colour and visual presentation but also complexity and texture... _Dobe_ , you're _paid_ to be here and critique, so stop engorging yourself for a minute and actually contribute something worthwhile already. You're an embarrassment"

CEO Uchiha was steadily losing patience as the other CEO beside him was non-stop shoving spoonful, after spoonful of the dessert and tearing the sponge cake apart with his fingers, and popping them in his mouth. It got to a point that he was starting to transform into a little kid who forgot his table manners and was only concerned with gobbling the yummy dessert. CEO Uchiha wasn't the only one looking annoyed and exasperated under the veil of pure arrogance, but Doctor Haruno was also looking flustered at the embarrassing behaviour, minus the arrogance.

"Hey! You're letting your plate frickin' melt. At least I'm not the one letting good food go to waste. Everybody knows that eating melted desserts is a no-no, _teme!_ So who's the embarrassing one now? _dattebayo_ "

The CEO Uzumaki jabbed his spoon at the man's face. His cerulean blue eyes blazed with fury, his tanned face flushed and his whisker marks bristled. Rindou was greatly amused by the dynamics of those two CEOs, ever since she watched the first two recorded battles Isshiki-kun had lent her on a memory stick. She hadn't felt the need to go see it live as she had better things to do. It was common knowledge around the commercial food world that these two great men were childhood friends. They must have been closer than they let on since they keep breaking out into a petty banter in the middle of judging for every cooking battle, thus far. That left the beautiful pink-haired Doctor Haruno, who was ready to break the blonde CEOs arm, reset it, and break it all over again if he didn't settle down. The task of babysitter fell onto her. So far, she'd only had mild occurrences of flashing her impatience and anger through hard glares drilled at these two men when they started bickering, and a painful ear-yank yesterday, but Rindou had yet to actually _see_ her unleashing her full strength and throttle the men. She was close to blowing up, judging by the throbbing vein at her temple and the panel slightly cracking under her perfectly manicured nails. Yep, nobody better mess with her because those muscles under her professional blazer were _real._

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun... I _swear_ to God, if I hear _one more-_ "

"Okay! O-Okay! Chill Sakura-chan! Nobody needs to die today! So ah, sorry _Ojou-chan_. Your dessert was so good I couldn't help myself hehe..."

CEO Uzumaki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, keeping a wary eye on the ill-tempered Doctor who was threateningly clenching and unclenching her fists at him. Meanwhile, CEO Uchiha merely leaned back and resumed picking at the elements on his plate, looking determined to let the little bits of leftover sorbet and pistachio mousse melt to prove his point. Ahhh... Rindou could stare at his aristocratic and chiselled face all day.

"That's alright" chirped Alice "I'm just glad you enjoy it"

CEO Uzumaki pulled a face at CEO Uchiha before he gave another critique "Anyway the pistachio sponge is beautifully aerated and light. I mean that's the whole point of doing the 'siphon-sponge' right? It's full of air bubbles which makes it light and soft and it just melts away in your mouth" he smiled at Alice.

Rindou too, popped the last morsel of the sponge into her mouth and she could feel all those verbal descriptions transmutate into sensations.

"Now could we give our scores?" asked Doctor Haruno.

The male judges nodded. Each of them bowed their heads as they typed into the hidden keyboards.

Eighteen from CEO of Igakono Senbei, _Uchiha Sasuke_

Twenty from CEO of TopRamen Limited, _Uzumaki Naruto_

Eighteen from Tenure Professor of Toudai, _Haruno Sakura_

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. The little Danish pastry gave dramatic bows to the judges and turned to the audience waving at them, grateful for the support she was given. However, Rindou only smirked wider. Well wasn't she excited to score the first 'twenty' in the competition so far? How cute.

" _Next up is Kobayashi Rindou! Please present your dish!"_

Rindou strolled towards the fridge where she had been keeping her desserts cool. She lifted them out carefully and didn't bother to use the helpful trolley and decided she would serve them properly. She placed each plate of her dessert down in front of the judges with a fresh set of cutlery and watched as the judges anaylsed it from top to bottom.

"Alice-chan, be a dear and grab yourself a serving from the fridge and I'll be right with you. I'm afraid I've only got two hands" Rindou crooned to Alice.

She stepped away from the judging panel and hefted her vat of freshly made sour cherry sorbet. She reached behind her and pulled her own spoon from her apron and perfectly _quenelled_ the sorbet for each judge and delicately placed each football shape onto the pinnacle of her dessert.

 _'And THAT'S how it's done'_

Rindou removed her vat of sorbet, excitement buzzing through her, translating it into giddy movements. She then watched listlessly as Alice took out her own serving and surveyed it with unmasked admiration. She went over and _quenelled_ the sorbet for Alice too, humming in delight.

"Well, it's clear from this where the 'Nature' themes come in. Do we still need to ask?" remarked Doctor Haruno jovially.

"No need!" chirped Rindou.

"Gosh! It's _so_ pretty" CEO Uzumaki gawked at it. He turned the plate a few centimetres at a time as he drank in the fine details of her dessert. The other judges did the same and they took their time to anaylse every single crumb and exhale in absolute wonder.

"It's called **Chocolate Forest Floor** " said Rindou without waiting for them to ask. "So here you have the _forest floor_ which I've incorporated many different textures and flavours. There's the lavender cream, chocolate cream and praline cream, soft chocolate ganache, tempered chocolate disc, cystallised fennel seeds, cookie dough crumbs which makes the soil. We've got the _feuilletine_ from the aniseed-praline mix~ We've got the green tea moss here~ The cherry brandy jellies down here~ And there's the elderflowers and finger-lime pearls in there as well~ Finally, I've topped it off with sour cherry sorbet! _Voila!"_

Rindou waved her hand in the air in a theatrical flourish. Her fangs protruded, until it rested against her lips like a playful cat, and she licked one of them in anticipation of how the judges were taking in the overload of sensory descriptions. Heh, this was what it meant to be part of the Elite Ten.

"So Alice-chan. What do you think so far? Looks _awesome_ doesn't it?" she spun around and clasped her hands behind her head, rocking back and forth on her feet.

The little Danish Pastry just shook her head with a great big smile on her face. "It really is fantastic, Rindou-senpai. I mean for something that came out of the _nouveau_ cuisine school of food that looks like bird's nests that have fallen out of trees"

Rindou's eyelids twitched.

' _Wow. She couldn't make her jealousy any more obvious'_

That Nakiri just amazed her every time. She was never boring.

"Like, this may be the only dessert in the world that's made to be walked on rather than eaten" Alice continued to smirk innocently at Rindou.

' _...That little—"_

"H-Hey... I hate to break up your little BFF moment here, but I was wondering if you would like our critiques on this wonderful dessert now?" CEO Uzumaki chortled good-heartedly and scratched the side of his face to play down the awkwardness of being ignored. Rindou was happy to see that the judges had already dug into the dessert and only had a quarter of the way already since she and Alice began 'chatting'. They were fast eaters weren't they?

"Oh! My sincerest apologises. Please I'd love to know what you think" Rindou hurriedly made a show of bowing to them at waist level but she couldn't suppress the grin on her face.

"It looks really dry at the top but when you break into the cream, it's just so luscious and incredibly smooth. The whole dish is so textural. I got the predominant fennel taste, and a nice bust of salt, but not as strong as I thought it was going to be. The overall dish is just perfectly balanced, creamy and crunchy. Nicely done" said CEO Uzumaki.

"When I look at this dish as an average home cook with a husband and a son, I'm like 'Wow!' It's bright, it's punchy, it's incredibly complex. It's so yummy, the flavours _pop,_ you've got all the individual flavours" Doctor Haruno clapped her hands together giddily.

"Two things I really like about this dish. The lavender flavour and those three different creams underneath. It's really bright and it's like walking through a woodland floor, the branches are snapping under your feet." said CEO Uchiha.

"Yep! I love those little chocolate twigs, they crack like dry twigs at the end of summer from my childhood– I mean, not like I went r-roaming around woods eating every twig I could find as a kid!... hehe..." The normally ecstatic and lively CEO rubbed the back of his golden head, laughing feebly at his own poorly executing joke.

"... I wouldn't be surprised" muttered the handsome CEO beside him who looked ashamed to know him.

The intelligent doctor had the mind to continue before the two men started breaking out into their usual broken record "These little sprinkling of the jelly cubes is so clear. The texture of the cookie dough soil and the _matcha_ moss looks just exactly like the moist soils of a European forest. It's full of _finesse_ "

Rindou inflated her chest. The judges were pretty much eating out of the palm of her hands. Her intensive training in New York, working alongside the best chefs in the business was a land-slide advantage and she was re-thinking her accepting Isshiki-kun's call on a favour to participate was _way_ too much for her _kohai._ But they needed to learn that beyond Tootsuki was a _completely_ different world and she was here to represent that next step. Tootsuki was but a small pond compared to the vast ocean of professional chefs, not to mention other ponds of professional culinary academies.

"The finger-lime pearls were excellent, there's a lot which helps with the savoury notes" added CEO Uchiha.

"Guys, can we talk about the sorbet now? _Dattebayo_!" CEO Uzumaki practically bounded in his seat. Obviously he was waiting to save the best for last. "That sorbet was _brilliant_. It has a wonderful rich colour, it's got a beautiful shine which bounces against the tiny squares of jelly and green tea moss. It's got that lovely sour cherry hit. It's delicious and balances against the richness of the chocolate. I just love it!" he finished his critique all in one breath and fell back against his seat with that cheesy smile plastered on his face.

"I totally agree. The texture is fantastic, perfectly smooth. It's elastic enough just as it should be and that wonderful refreshing flavour was perfect to go with this dish"

Rindou turned around slightly to peek at Alice from the corner of her eyes. She was pouting as she swallowed the final morsel which was the cherry brandy jelly. Her fingers clenched her spoon so tightly, as if peeved that she finished her dessert too soon.

" _Something bothers me about this dish_ " said the indigo-haired CEO suddenly.

"Huh?" CEO Uzumaki deadpanned.

The steely-eyed CEO pushed his empty plate to the side and leaned forward. He propped his strong elbows onto the panel and laced his long fingers together, just in front of his mouth. His posture intimidated Rindou, causing her to gulp without realising. Suspicion and arrogance exuded his form and she was suddenly much more aware of his birth right as the heir to the famous Uchiha Clan. His dark eyes bored back into hers in a half-glare. He was probing her. Analysing her.

" _This isn't your best"_

"What are you—"

"Hush, Naruto!"

Rindou leveled him back with a stare, a challenge proclaimed between the two of them. There was an accusation hidden in his words which sounded extremely confident.

"I don't know what you mean, sir" said Rindou innocently.

He narrowed his eyes, not taking the bait and mildly offended. "Do not take me for a fool. I've watched all the contestants carefully thus far, and you are the only one who seemed too relaxed, and too composed, compared to the others who pushed a hundred and ten percent of themselves into the two hours of cooking. However you produced this exceptional and painstakingly complex dish which I cannot fault while feeling no pressure. You don't exert passion and drive as the other students do, therefore I cannot see the _true_ _face_ of this dish. You have more to show, but you won't" said CEO Uchiha.

By this time, the stadium had quietened and it was ominous. Cautious whispers floated through the tense air and perplexed looks surfaced around the audience as confusion set it, including the other judges. Except in a few seconds later, the man beside CEO Uchiha suddenly jolted and realisation dawned on his tanned face.

"Ah... So _that's_ what it was, _dattebayo!_ Sorry, _Ojou-chan_. I think I had that same inkling that Sasuke-teme's talking about, but I couldn't find the words to describe what I felt, so I withheld saying anything. But yeah, now I get it now. I don't know your circumstances or anything, but I don't think this really shows your true skill level. It's lacking something and you know it yourself because we can sense what's missing in your food, that's still in your heart. That makes me think you've got no stakes to fight for in this competition" he pointed his fingers directly at her.

"Care to explain why?" said Doctor Haruno.

Rindou was genuinely surprised and her eyelids fluttered several times. None of the judges were told about her and what she was really doing here. Isshiki-kun wanted to keep this unbiased on the judging part. How awkward for Isshiki-kun. Looks like even the best laid plans could go awry! These three people actually had the capability to taste past the complexity and flavours and sense the true soul of the dish, despite not being actual food critics or chefs. Isshiki-kun probably had overlooked that. She had learnt that a chef puts themselves in every dish they create, so when it was eaten, the consumer would feel and taste the joy, the pain, the frustration, the sadness, the fun, the excitement and the soul of its creator in the dish. That was when one knew the chef had reached the _pinnacle._ Being able to imbue that, and in turn sense that accurately was a gift and not even ten percent of the chef's in the world could do it. It was something innate, one was either born with it or had trained all their life for it. There was more to CEO Uchiha Sasuke, CEO Uzumaki Naruto and Doctor Haruno Sakura than meets the eye. So how was she going to dig herself out of this little quicksand?

"I'm not obliged to divulge my reasons for participating in this competition. If you want, you are welcome to discuss this matter with the board of directors and the Elite Ten Council regarding my admission. But otherwise I only ask that you purely score which dish is better in your opinion according to your set criteria" said Rindou carefully. She made sure to keep her voice even but couldn't resist throwing in that hint of sass.

"Hnn" CEO Uchiha grunted with such finality, the other judges didn't bother to interrogate her further too. Either he had somehow found the answer he was looking for through visually penetrating her barriers, or he no longer cared for her answers.

The judges typed in their scores into the numeric keyboard.

Twenty from CEO of Igakono Senbei, _Uchiha Sasuke_

Nineteen from CEO of TopRamen Limited, _Uzumaki Naruto_

Twenty from Tenure Professor of Toudai, _Haruno Sakura_

" _The winner of the third match of Round One is Kobayashi Rindou!"_

Rindou soaked up all the cheers. She placed her hands on her hips and smirked so widely that she thought she'd look like a vampire. She flounced off the podium and towards Alice who had her back towards her. Damn, she should've brought her raincoat or umbrella because _she was gonna make it fucking rain_.

"Don't be too down Alice-chan, I know you've worked really hard to get to where you are but chin up! I'm not really part of the competition as you already know, so maybe Isshiki-kun will decide a little pity offer to re-enter you to the competition to make up the numbers or something"

Rindou knew she said nothing to make the situation better for Alice and she wasn't planning too. Kicking a girl while she was down, she admitted was a total bitch-move, but she was going to fly out back to New York soon, so whatever!

"Is it true what they've said? Does it mean this dish is only what Eizan-senpai could do?"

"My **Chocolate Forest Floor**? Yeah, Isshiki-kun specifically told me that I had to cook at Eizan-kun's level. He even placed it in my contract, that fussy guy. As if he'd really sue me if I didn't"

Alice still had her back turned to her.

"Look at it this way" Rindou continued. "Now you have _a small_ taste of what it means to be the Elite Ten. Round two is about competing against the current seats right? I was the _second seat_. Imagine being selected to go up against maybe the _third_ or _fourth_ seat when you can't even get past _Eizan-kun's_ level. If I had showed you my true skill, you won't find the strength to ever pick up a kitchen knife again once I'm done with you. I've spared you the embarrassment of a landslide _fail,_ so it's a lucky escape, huh?" said Rindou.

"That wasn't even on my mind, Rindou-senpai" said Alice.

Rindou quirked her brow and placed her fingers on her chin. Okay? She wasn't expecting this.

"I just wanted to say _mange tak._ You've just reminded me of how badly I really want this and I'm going to do whatever it takes. I will use all my failures to get there! Just like Yukihira-kun did!"

"You're… welcome?"

Alice turned around to face her. Her ruby-red eyes gleamed with such a heated intensity that Rindou was sure she was ready for another match right then and there. The fighting spirit was palpable in the air and she unconsciously licked her lips. Alice wasn't being the usual cry baby and throwing a tantrum all over the place like she was famous for after a loss. Instead she held her head up high and there was not a drop of tear dotting her lashes. This was interesting. Why the sudden change of heart?

The Danish Pastry was right up in Rindou's face. What's with these people? This must be Yukihira Souma talking through her. One thing she was sure of was that her respect for Nakiri Alice had risen.

"If that's the way you feel, I'm glad to be part of one of your precious failures"

With that, Kobayashi Rindou strutted past Alice and off the stadium. She didn't get the chance to catch a glimpse of the solitary tear rolling down her defeated opponent's cheeks.

* * *

It all came crashing down.

 _'How many times do I have to fail to get it right!'_

Her insides shook and waves of sadness washed over her. Is this what Yukihira Souma felt the first few times he lost against his own father in their daily matches at his family diner? Had he lost so many times now that he's become immune to this crushing feeling. She had caved under the disappointment once at his hands and she expected it to be less the second time around, but it was just as painful as the first time. This was so stupid! She had just finished her big-triumphant speech to Rindou-senpai in the face of utter humiliation to save her dignity, and here she was about to bawl her eyes out. Her words were still genuine. She was glad the Tootsuki graduate had already left before she could taunt her even further. She closed her eyes finally and the tears squeezed out. Just as the wave of sadness had come, so did frustration and pain in her chest. Her shoulder continued to shake, and it grew more erratic until it was controllable. She'd forgotten how to breathe and choked out a sob.

' _No more crying, damn it!"_

" _Ne, Ojou-chan"_

She hurriedly wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve and warily looked up.

"U-Uzumaki-san..!"

CEO Uzumaki Naruto stood in front of her. He was a tall man. He had a gentle smile on his lips and his eyes were soft and warm as he looked upon her. When did he suddenly come around the panel so quickly? Alice had never been that close to CEOs of his calibre and fame before so as a Nakiri she felt slightly ashamed he had to see her in such a mess. However, the way he gazed at her wasn't prejudiced at all. With a soft whoosh, he bent onto one knees and plucked a handkerchief from his orange jacket and passed it to her.

"N-No… it's okay, you don't have too" she said pouted feebly.

"Don't worry about it _Ojou-chan"_ he said calmly. His voice was actually a bit deeper when he was speaking so gently to her. He pressed the handkerchief back to her and she relented. She dabbed her eyes instead of her nose.

"You did an amazing job on your dessert today. You should be proud, _dattebayo_ "

She nodded.

"This isn't the end. This is only your beginning on the most exciting journey of your _life_ "

Alice looked up into his deep blue eyes. He wasn't speaking to her as a CEO, or a food critic, or a superior. He was talking to her like he was her best friend, her mentor, her confidant, her uncle, her father. Her anxieties melted away as soon as he placed a large hand onto her shoulder. It was steady as a rock. His smile warmed her insides. Alice bit her lip to stop the next bout of tears and he gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. She found the courage to smile back at him.

He continued to speak.

"The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things that make up your story. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't always spoil the good things… and make them unimportant"

It was the smile of a man who'd endured so many things life threw at him. The good, the bad and the ugly. The happiness, the joy, grief and sorrow. His eyes and his smile told his story. It told her, he'd been where she was right now. It told her he'd already felt what she felt at some point in his life. Everybody knew CEO Uzumaki Naruto didn't have a good start in life and the whole world wanted the orphan boy to fail. Here he was now, one of the most successful CEOs of Japan's major commercial food company after many, many years of hardship. She felt guilty for forcing him into a position where he had to comfort her, but there was not a trace of pity or annoyance in his aura. Alice wondered. Did he survive all this time, because he didn't let the bad moments get into his heart? Or did he only concentrate on the good moments? Or both…

Alice closed her eyes and thought about the...

' _The… good things'_

* * *

 _"Don't you know what's supposed to go inside a bentou?"_

Yukihira-kun had liberated the feelings she'd locked away in her heart of ice.

* * *

 _"...if you don't mind me saying so. Meeting you is my highlight of the day!"_

Ayame-san, a fellow science enthusiast of the same age and gender, had crossed her path.

* * *

 _"That's not true! I do care for you!"_

Erina had wanted to help her.

* * *

 _"Whose stupid idea is this anyway?! Yours!?"_... _"It was mine, Mi'lady"_

Ryou-kun had betrayed her trust because he also cared.

* * *

 _"Did you think I'd care for you so little, that everything you've done would change the way I feel about you?"_

Byakko still loved her.

* * *

' _Maybe… just maybe. They've definitely added to my pile of good things'_

* * *

 **Hang in there Alice! Your spunkines will come back** **(later)!** **Alice's memories flashing before her eyes at the end with the character quotes is from chapter 8 and chapter 32 of this story :) Just for your reference if you want to go back and refresh yourself.**

 **The judges in the anime/manga (I LOVE THOSE JUDGES) are a lot more lively, exhuberant, passionate and enthusiastic in their eating and critiques compared to my special guest judges. Team 7 are more restrained than them haha.**

 **If you guys are familiar with Dante Alighieri's** _ **The Divine Comedy**_ **, then you'll know what the next chapter will be titled as :P And that kind of title won't bode well for our characters. kekekeke**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **\- TripWire-dono**


	34. Inferno

_Chapter 34 - Inferno_

* * *

"Damn! I thought Alice-san should win!" Ayame fisted her hands against the window.

Isami-kun placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kobayashi-senpai is actually a second seater from last year. So don't take it to heart"

"Last year?"

"Ah didn't _Fratello,_ explain it to you? Kobayashi-senpai is actually a recent graduate. She'd moved to New York to start her career as a high end chef shortly after graduation. Isshiki-senpai asked her to come back because there's an uneven number of competitors"

"Oh I see... It's not that… It's just, I thought Alice-san's dessert was a lot more complex, more technical, she must have used flavour profile pairing. It has eleven elements! _Eleven!_ And-and-and there was liquid nitrogen too…"

Isami chuckled behind her. Fine! She admitted it! She was biased because of the science and chemistry aspects to the dish, whereas Kobayashi-senpai's dish wasn't that exciting-looking to make compared to Alice-san's. She needed to breathe. What's done is done and there was nothing she or anyone could do about this _outrageous_ turn of events. The last time she felt this frustrated was when _Otou-san_ skipped out on his turn to wash the dishes. After her breathing was back to normal, Isami-kun was talking about something, but Ayame's attention wandered elsewhere to calm the manic rage she was about to unleash. She wondered where Takumi-kun went. Thinking about Takumi-kun always made her happy. She looked around and saw him discussing something with Yukihira-san, Hayama-san and Erina-san.

' _Ah… He looks different there too…'_

She tilted her head, letting Isami-kun's happy voice wash over her. She was listening half-attentively but was concentrating more on what's changed with Takumi-kun. She'd noticed small changes in him here and there. His back was straighter and tall. His arms were crossed powerfully over his chest as he was saying something to Yukihira-san. His hips were slightly jutted out. He wasn't standing like the usual stick in the mud with his arms stiff by his side before. His jaw didn't seem to clench tightenly anymore, but rather was solid and firm. His presence was more alive and stronger than it was before. His blue eyes twinkled with understanding from whatever topic they were discussing and his lips were frozen in a languid smirk, rather than being tight-lipped around Yukihira-san. Ayame found herself trailing her eyes along his neck. His tendons there were pronounced and it dipped past his shirt collar and joined to his defined collar-bone. Ayame gulped…

"Earth to Ayame-chan~"

"Huh? A-Ah, sorry I just drifted there. It happens sometimes… Um, thinking about hissing pneumatics and bio-sensors… so uh, what were you saying about the Director Nakiri Senzaemon?"

Thankfully, that name stood out for her amongst Isami-kun's chatter when she was sort-of-not-sort-of listening to him. His eyes narrowed in mischief and he smirked which made her feel a bit guilty and wary.

"He's changed hasn't he?" he said.

"Who are you talking about?"

" _Fratello._ He's more confident now" he nodded his head in her boyfriend's direction.

Ayame blushed profusely. Isami-kun was too observant. He caught her out from oogling Takumi-kun from across the room. The younger Italian seemed well versed in the dying art of embarrassing someone without sounding like he meant it. Ayame bunched her hands in her skirt.

"Not to sound crude or anything, but that night you slept over? He's transformed into a man!"

"AYA?!"

She took that back. Isami-kun was _shameless._

Ayame flew back and shrunk at Isami-kun's laughing face as he clutched his stomach. Tears were leaking from his eyes, but he quickly recomposed himself. She had more tears brimming in her eyes, blurring her vision and she wasn't composing herself anytime soon.

"No, no. I'm sorry. What I meant to say is when a man becomes one with his woman, it really changes him. Sure _Fratello_ has been a bit more dazed these days. Daydreaming and stuff with a stupid smile on his face. But he's taken on this zeal for life even more than usual. He's cooking style is faster, more concentrated, less clumsy, he _smiles_ more when he cooks and _Dio mio,_ his flavours now are just astounding! He's a lot more confident when he cooks under pressure and when he talks with our friends too. Like, he doesn't trip over his words anymore which is amazing haha. He's also more calm and tolerant of things he'd usually bust a vein for"

The Karakura student blinked several times, her mouth slightly agape. So she wasn't the only one who noticed something was up with Takumi-kun? But of course! How stupid of her, Isami-kun would notice more of these smaller, but significant details about his brother than anybody else would.

"It's like another part of himself has opened up and it's thanks to you, Ayame-chan" Isami-kun smiled at her.

Ayame could only blush at the compliment. If Chizuru-chan was here, the subtext she'd read would be along the lines of _'Thanks for getting my brother laid!'_ Ayame directed her eyes at her shoes, her hot blush ever present on his face. Did anyone ever tell Isami-kun that he was a little bit to direct in his words? But she didn't mind this once because he was genuinely happy with her being together with his brother. She too was just happy she brought out the best in Takumi-kun.

"I-I see. Then I guess, I'm glad I could make Takumi-kun happy" she smiled up at Isami-kun.

He opened his piercing blue eyes. "I can see you're just as happy too. You glow when you smile around him"

Both teenagers chuckled and Ayame playfully smacked Isami-kun on the arm. It was just so easy to get along with him.

"And what are you two laughing about?"

Ayame turned around to find Takumi-kun was standing behind her with his hands on his hips. He was done with his conversation with Yukihira-san, Hayama-san and Erina-san. He smiled down at her and smiled up at his brother.

"Nothing _Fratello._ Just hissing pneumatics and bio-sensors" said Isami-kun offhandedly.

"What?"

Ayame suppressed a snort."I'm going to visit the bathroom. I'll be back in a tick" she said.

The Karakura student planted a quick kiss on Takumi-kun's cheek before he could ask what the hell those were, and relished in the blush that bloomed across his face. It was too adorable! She should kiss him more in public. Ayame left her book-bag with them and made herself scarce. These building were utterly confusing. It winded down different corridors and essentially it was a maze. She could probably get lost in here and die of starvation. Ayame was about to round the corner when a series of strained whispers caught her ears. It wasn't the plotting or scheming whispers between best friends ready to enact vengeance on an unsuspecting bugger, nor was it giggling about a piece of juicy celebrity heart throb gossip. It was a really distressed, angry and irritated voice of a fed-up female for some reason, and her whispers were quickly become shrieks. The second voice belonged male which remained levelled and smooth and the overbearing smugness lining his cadence incited the female's rage further.

The female's voice sounded familiar… didn't she hear her just naught but an hour ago?

Kobayashi-san?

' _This is going to be awkward…'_

The Karakura student peddled back and forth on the spot, not wanting to interrupt such a heated moment between who she was sure was today's contestant and a random guy. She couldn't help listening to their argument and at the same time thinking about a safer and less embarrassing route she should take, or she should just crab walk around them pretending that nothing was going on. That's how much they echoed in the corridor. That bathroom at the end of the corridor was the closest one she knew… oh man…

" _How did you know I was gonna be here?"_

" _You know how I am. Keeping tabs on people is what I do"_

This was intriguing… but it was none of her business… _but it was intriguing!_ She found herself being plunked in the middle of a classic suspense and thriller spy movie. Drat! Chizuru-chan must be spending too many movie nights at her place. This was not the time! The familiar rush of adrenaline of placing herself in a character's shoes insinuated itself in her and she lost the feeling of going to the bathroom. Uneasiness settled in her stomach, telling her there was something wrong with this conversation and if she left now, she had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Maybe she was going 'method' style. Who knew, this would ultimately be a bad decision on her part but the curiosity of the nerd and an aspiring engineer refused to release her common sense and just _leave_. Ayame pressed herself tightly around the corner and slid down to the floor and pulled her knees up. She adjusted her hearing like a pair of parabolic dishes to listen further.

" _I LEFT Japan because of YOU. Get it?!"_

" _Left the country, moved next door, it's all the same to me, Rindou-chan. But you came back!"_

" _I owed Isshiki-kun a favour. Nothing more"_

" _Keep telling yourself that, doll. I'm surprised you thought I'd forgotten you after your little stunt. My sources were onto you as soon as your plane landed"_

The plot thickened! So it wasn't only the international job prospects which attracted Kobayashi-san to make a sudden sea-change straight after graduation?

" _What? You couldn't find another play thing that's interesting enough for you? Couldn't find some other simple human being to obsess over?"_

" _You were never just a play thing to me, doll"_ The male's voice softened just enough to make Ayame blush slightly.

" _Well that's a first. All those times you stalked me, subjected me to mind games, forced me on dates, sexually harass me, and all-round made my life a living hell, was supposed to be your fucked up way of showing me affection?"_

Kobayashi-san snorted in derision. A rough mocking chuckle was her only reply which seemed to confirm to Ayame that this guy she was arguing with was a hundred percent twisted.

" _I think 'affection' is too weak a word. Don't you?"_

"… _What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

" _That first day you worked in Simon's Russian Sushi shop in Ikebukuro for that silly, little Stagiare of yours when you were a Tootsuki First Year. You were interesting and a puzzle, unlike the simpletons polluting the city. I couldn't let a rare beauty slip from me before I solved her, could I? You were already mine to break and put back together before anything began, Rindou-chan"_

Footsteps sounded three times before they stopped.

 _"You burned me… right here"_

Ayame's wild imagination ran away with her and conjured up the scenario of the mysterious man moving closer to Kobayashi-san and tapping exactly where the cavity where his heart was supposed to be.

 _"For fuck's sake, don't tell me you actually FELT something deep and mushy for me…"_

 _"Saying blatantly asinine things doesn't suit you, doll"_ he sniggered.

Ayame clasped her hands over her mouth, convinced that they'd find her if her breath escaped. She could feel Kobayashi-san reaching the end of her rope and the man was eager to push her even further. So far from what she gathered the beautiful red-headed chef had been continuously hounded by a super-creepy stalker who was obsessed with her. She shivered and felt utterly grossed out. Whoever this man was, he was very dangerous. His voice, although quiet and smooth possessed some sort of hidden dominating power. The type that didn't need to be raised a decibel to silence a room full of bickering politicians. Then his voice grew eerily tender.

 _"How've you been?"_

 _"Don't do this"_

 _"You're right. I already know what you've been up to in New York"_

 _"You don't get to ask me that after EVERYTHING you've put me through"_

 _"Then at least say my name"_

 _"What the fuck?"_

" _For old time's sake. I like to hear you say it"_

" _Not this again. I won't say it THEN and I won't say it NOW. Find other ways to jack off!"_

" _Awwww~ You're cock-blocking me here, doll!"_

" _That's the point, you freaky bastard"_

" _Man, I miss this. I really do. You may have left the country, but you've never TRULY left me—"_

" _DON'T TOUCH ME!"_

 _SLAP!_

Ayame sprung out as soon as the sound of flesh connecting flesh. She faced the back of Kobayashi's bright red hair, just in time for the senior to slap a man's hand away from her face. Her skidding shoes instantly stopped the out-of-control interaction before her. The man's sharp eyes instantly locked onto hers and so did Kobayashi-san as she whipped around in a panic state. Now it was Ayame's turn to panic, and she panicked _hard._

' _Wh-What did I get myself into!"_

Her pulse raced and her hands started shaking as she ransacked her mind for something to say. What do spies say as soon as they fabulously blow their cover?! She mentally chastised herself that this wasn't a plot for a movie, this was real and this situation was _real_. The man was about half a head taller than Kobayashi-san. He was quite good-looking and in his twenties, but his sly and menacing expression stopped Ayame from providing him anymore nice and flattering physical descriptions. He had short black hair and pale skin, like he hadn't been in the sun for a long time. His lips were paused in an 'O' shape from his surprise at her jumping out of nowhere, but soon morphed into a calculating smirk. He was dressed oddly for summer. He wore an old black hooded jacket with aging fur around the collar, hood, cuffs and hem. Underneath was a black v-neck shirt, black pants and black shoes. He had one arm hanging awkwardly in the air as Kobayashi-san had slapped it away from her face in his rude attempt to touch her. His silver ring on his finger wasn't the only thing gleaming in the hallway. His rust coloured eyes held a certain bright, spine-tingling malice which Ayame couldn't find the strength to rip her eyes from. It was devious, malicious, cold and devoid of sanity.

 _Lethal and dangerous._

Ayame's instincts screamed at her to run away, but the distraught look on Kobayashi-san's face kept her rooted to the spot. She gulped and clenched her fists, mustering what was left of her dwindling courage.

"Step away from her" Ayame bit out.

He merely looked at her up and down with no consequence.

"I'm fine. This has nothing to do with you" Kobayashi-san huffed at her as if Ayame was insignificant and turned back around to face the man, but he kept staring straight at Ayame.

He seemed to be studying her as a blank façade took over his face. His eyes started glazing over, pulling into the depths of serious thoughts. Did he just zone out? In a few pain-staking moments his rust-coloured eyes suddenly livened up again and they took on a blood-red glow which scared Ayame more than it should. His thin lips spread into a wide and devilish grin.

"Interesting… I'm surprised _he_ would allow you anywhere near this school…"

Ayame furrowed her brows together in confusion. He? _He?_ What is he talking about? Who is this _'he'_ the creepy man just spoke of? Was the man implying that she wasn't supposed to be visiting this school? The man looked at her like he finally recognised her from somewhere, but Ayame had never met, much less have _seen_ this man in her life! This freaked her out even more. A euphoric expression which one got from an epiphany suddenly possessed him.

"Ayame! What took you so long? I thought you were just—"

It was Takumi-kun. Ayame remained motionless as she continued to be trapped by the serpentine-looking man's gaze even when Takumi-kun's worried voice came out from behind her. She had forgotten about her destination to the bathroom and instead had prolonged her journey to be caught up in this mess, which had nothing to do with her but she ignorantly landed herself in now. She reached out behind to grope for any part of Takumi-kun for security and gripped his hand as soon as she brushed his fingertips. She clasped it tightly as if he were her only life-line.

" _Mio caro?_ What's wrong?... Ah! It's you!"

The man finally looked away from her to her boyfriend. He quirked a dark eyebrow as if offended and then it darkened into amusement.

"Do I know you?" he said nonchalantly at him.

Suddenly Takumi-kun had stepped around in front of Ayame, partially covering her body as his arm started to push her back behind him. Ayame dumbly watched his back muscles tense beneath his school shirt, and suspicion and wariness cascaded off of him. He didn't speak a word as he continued to pin the man behind Kobayashi-san with a stiff glare, refusing to answer his mocking question. She'd never seen Takumi-kun look at anyone with so much apprehension before. She was confused yet again! Did Takumi-kun know this guy?! She was definitely out of the loop for something, she could feel it and it frustrated her to no end as to what they hell she wasn't understanding!

"If you leave now, I won't call the police" said Kobayashi-san in a low voice.

That got the man's attention again and he lowered his face towards her. Ayame could've sworn that they soften ever so slightly when he looked down at her, but his eyes quickly resumed a hungry and predatory look like he wanted to devour her on the spot and dance on her bones.

"Yeah. Three's a crowd. Now we're a faceless mass of four. I gotta bounce anyway" he shrugged his shoulders and cocked his head to the side. He appeared utterly relaxed and immune to the tension choking the atmosphere and spun around once on his heels. His sudden carefree nature sent Ayame's mind into a spin. Was he just a really whimsical guy or was he just… changeable like that? It couldn't be normal. He slipped his hands into his jacket pockets and slowly backed away, his shoes echoing on the linoleum. Takumi-kun still remained rigid as he continued to adamantly shield Ayame's body from any threats this man could throw.

"Every single day, every move you make, every word you say, _I'll know_. It doesn't matter how far you are. You could be on the other side of the universe! But it'll remain the same… _You'll~ always~ be~ mine~ and~ I'll~ always~ find~ you~"_

He grinned at her, his syrupy voice did little to mask his menacing threat and it made Ayame's blood run cold on Kobayashi-san's behalf. He sang as if the beautiful red-headed chef was the centre of his universe.

"And you" he glanced back up at Ayame, breaking the magic spell, which made her breath hitch in panic and Takumi-kun to narrow his blue eyes.

"Say 'hi' to your dad for me"

And then he was gone around the corner in a blink of an eye.

Ayame released a shaky breath and closed her eyes, feeling a mild headache coming on. So many questions were stampeding through her head, but the first question was why did Takumi-kun seem to recognise him? Why did all these Tootsuki students seem to be involved in these strange events, which now included her friends? First it was Alice-san's and Kuchiyose-kun's sketchy past and now it's Takumi-kun, Kobayashi-san and this stranger. One way to find out…

"Takumi-kun, who was that guy?" she asked.

The blonde-chef sighed and rubbed his head. He grimaced and refused to meet her eyes.

"Remember the time I told you about the police visiting the school and questioning students, including me, about Eizan-senpai's case?"

"Yeah, I remember… vaguely" Ayame murmured. The names of two police officer's; Shouseki and Rii bobbed up and down in her mind.

"They showed me a picture of that guy and asked if I ever see him around campus, that I should let them know immediately. They think he's connected to Eizan-senpai's case. The guy I told you about who got arrested for insider-trading" said Takumi-kun

"But who _is_ he?"

"His name is _Orihara Izaya_ " said Kobayashi-san.

The crimson-haired girl approached them. Her eyes flared with distinct ire and hate as she spat out his name in venomous contempt. Her shoulders slouched and she dragged her feet towards them. She crossed her arms across her chest and chewed on her lips. She stopped short about a metre away and released an aggravated sigh "He's an underground information broker from Ikebukuro, whom I'm cursed to be associated with"

' _It sounds to me they were once-upon-a-time more than just 'associates' if that argument was anything to go by'_

However, Ayame kept those thoughts to herself.

"Did he just say 'say hi to your dad for me'? And who are you, anyway?" asked Kobayashi-san curiously.

Ayame nodded, she was as shocked to hear those parting words as much as Kobayashi-san was. "M-My name is Kanda Ayame, I'm Takumi-kun's girlfriend. I wanted to visit and watch Alice-san today, so yeah… Umm, my dad's the super—I mean, he's part of TMPD. I don't know Orihara-san at all, but since he's an information broker like you said... I guess he knows a few officers at the main precinct?"

'… _and their families'_

That thought alone scared the living daylights out of her. Ayame didn't need anyone to explain to her how an information broker worked. She knew enough to be extremely cautious. This man _knew Otou-san._ That meant he also knew _Otou-san_ was the leading commander of the TMPD. Ayame didn't really like to talk about what his job really entailed with people she didn't trust and _Otou-san_ made that a point ever since she was old enough to be allowed to know what he did. Kobayashi-san regarded her a bit suspiciously. She wasn't really buying into her explanation but she didn't say anything else.

"Well, I'm calling the police anyway" Takumi-kun fished out his phone and was about to dial when the beautiful red-headed chef's arm shot out and clamped it over his hand before he could even flip it open. Takumi's head shot up with confusion and alarm, but the girl shook her head.

"Don't. It'll only cause more trouble"

"Why?!"

"By the time they arrive, the wonder-cunt would be long gone and the noisy cop-cars and the police will freak out the students and everything will be a mess. On the other hand, if he's still prowling about, trust me he will raise hell with the police _with other students around_ for the heck of it and that won't be a pretty sight either"

Takumi-kun grinded his teeth and considered for a moment and grunted. He pulled a pained expression meaning he conceded.

"But what is he _doing_ here?" Takumi-kun yanked his hand back from her roughly but still refused to put his phone back in his pocket, holding it tightly and ready to flip it open again.

"Knowing him, he's probably scouting the area"

"What for?"

" _For a client"_

Ayame shuffled nervously. Orihara-san is an information broker and was scouting Tootsuki for a client? This reeked already of criminal activity and she dreaded to think what would happen to her boyfriend and the students here. But then they had a scandal with Eizan Etsuya quite recently and Tootsuki took a pretty nasty hit. Tiny pieces of jigsaw puzzles floated before her. The edges didn't quite fit but the sockets and tabs were roughly the same shape. She hated when the pieces almost fit but didn't and to make it worse she couldn't see the picture. Ayame mentally waved her mental projections away and came back into the real world. She didn't know how many more legs Tootsuki was standing on, but another involvement in a crime, whether it was there fault or not could crumble the school's image into dust and release that dreaded domino effect, affecting the students, the Tootsuki resort, the Nakiri family and any other assets they held. She knew first hand that there was no such thing as a crime ending in a clean arrest, especially involving a man who _knew her and her father_.

"You mean, someone's paid him to gather information about Tootsuki on their behalf?" asked Takumi-kun in disbelief, making sure he got the facts straight.

"That's his job. Duh"

"Then why was he talking to you like that, Kobayashi-san?" began Ayame.

Ayame tried to organise the information quickly in her head, hoping to make the jigsaw pictures clearer. Was he here for the client, or was he _actually_ here for Kobayashi-san? Was it coincidence he bumped into Kobayashi-san today? _Hell no._ What _exactly_ was he scouting within Tootsuki?

This wasn't the same vibrant, exuberant, confident and arrogant girl she had witness unfold at the stadium. She had portrayed such a lively, strong personality and was completely thick-skinned against Alice-san's jabs at her exquisite Chocolate Forest Floor dessert. On the stadium she possessed a maturity of a sultry model and at the same time was playful, using her charms to drawing in the attention of the audience and the judges with little effort. But right now, all Ayame could see was a woman covered in healing scars and a heart too hardened and guarded it was difficult to tell if she had one at all. Now those scars were on the verge of reopening. Whatever Orihara Izaya had done to her in the past was traumatizing enough to break her façade of a self-assured confidence to reveal a poor, troubled soul.

 _ **"That's another story**_ which I don't care to tell you about. Let's just say he's a manipulative son-of-a-bitch with a fetish for scrambling people's mind and doesn't know how to be normal, and leave it at that, shall we?" Kobayashi-san flicked her hair over her shoulder.

She was back to being that impenetrable girl again.

"We have to at least go tell Isshiki-senpai. He's the one who's been taking care of Eizan-senpai's mess from the very start" Takumi-kun was adamant that somebody of higher authority should know this.

"What's Isshiki-kun going to do?" challenged Kobayashi-san.

"I don't know, but he's been in contact with the police more than the rest of us"

"I guess, he'll come up with something reasonable. That pretty-boy is the expert on looking like he's sitting on his hands, when he's actually really planning your social suicide"

Ayame didn't think Isshiki-san was as scheming and conniving as Kobayashi-san made him out to be. He'd been nothing but amiable, polite, generous and respectful since their first meeting. But as far as first impressions went… yeah, she had to get used to the idea of somebody with a deep, dark, petroleum persona lurking beneath the rainbow surface with all these confusing events folding in front of her. The sound of car engines leaked through the windows

"You said he was scouting for a client. Do you know who?" asked Ayame.

Kobayashi-san shook her head once and then she looked out the window. She guessed she was being too hopeful that Orihara-san would divulge confidential information to Kobayashi-san. The rumbling engines began to sound like rolling thunder, loud enough to pique Ayame's, Kobayashi-san's and Takumi-kun's interest. She didn't see cars often at Tootsuki as even the teachers resided in their workplace and the students boarded in the dormitories, where all their material necessities are covered and delivered by their tuition. Also their private coaches had their own station, which Takumi-kun had shown her before. Ayame gingerly walked over to the window with Takumi-kun following close behind. A long, sleek and limousine pulled over at the front of the _Shokugeki_ stadium. Ayame had to squint to see who the people were. So far they all looked identical. Black suit and tie, cropped hair, black shades. They all walked and moved the same. Stiff and if their hands weren't doing anything, it was clasped behind their backs.

 _"Che diavolo?"_ Takumi-kun whispered behind her.

' _Something's not right'_

One of the men in black opened the limousine door and stepped out in one fluid motion was a tall and thin man. He had an expensive wardrobe. Around him was a long, black designer trench coat that fitted his thin frame to perfection. It billowed behind him and with a quick snap it fluttered back to rest against his calves. He wore leather gloves that gave Ayame the impression of a stylish hitman ready for a wet-job soon. She couldn't see is face, per se, but he looked incredibly pale. Almost sickly looking. His hair was slicked back again his scalp. She could see there was a tress of silver hair curved stylishly against his head. The way the other men parted out of his way gave her a sinking feeling that this man held authority, but not the good kind.

Then Orihara-san's furry jacket came into view as he stepped out of a hidden entrance from the _Shokugeki_ Stadium up to the man and appeared to have a short talk before getting into a different but equally expensive and noxious looking vehicle.

 _'Is this... the client?'_

So he wasn't actually only scouting, but he'd been waiting for his ride before his 'job' was done?

' _There were no exchanges between them… Job's not finished yet? Or he already got paid and really didn't need to be here at all…'_

Ayame took a quick peep at Kobayashi-san and her facial expression told her all she needed to know

' _Oh hell yeah, Orihara-san only came to see her. He didn't need to scout anything at all'_

The car Orihara-san stepped into drove away, leaving this second mysterious, but opulent man in their wake who was quickly striding up to Tootsuki's front entrance with a foreboding determination, his Third Reich marching behind him.

"Looks like we'll find out soon enough" said Kobayashi-san.

* * *

' _Right… the Chocolate RS wishes to extend their budget'_

Satoshi re-read the document he was supposed to sign. He really wished he could be out there to see the match between his old upperclassman and Nakiri Alice. But alas it was not his fate! He hadn't seen Kobayashi Rindou in so long and really wanted to see where her skill level was up to. He'll wait for the recording. He didn't get much of a chance to catch up with her because of the new burden he's taken on alongside Kinokuni-san being the senior members of the Elite Ten. 'Senior' as in actually knowing what to do and how to run the whole council. He wondered if it was a mistake to ask Rindou-senpai to come back. All the other Elite Ten that were below her seat had declined the invitation as they were busy setting up their new restaurants or were hard pressed training under another chef, or were plain not interested. He had decided not to use the current seats as he wanted to preserve the element of surprise for the Round Two.

The auburn haired student remembered hearing some sort of hitch in her voice when he proposed that idea over a long distance phone call. That confused him greatly. At the same time, it raised suspicion in him. Not the type of suspicion that something underhanded was about to happen, but rather concern for his former Elite Ten fellow. Visits after visits with Eizan-kun at the Tokyo detention centre had forced him to become too sensitive to the tiny details and running of Tootsuki.

Yep. He rather be elsewhere than doing paperwork. Ah, the sun was nice and bright. A nice invigorating time hoeing the fields in Polar Star Plantations would be the perfect exercise to fix the office-back he was gaining. Nothing like a good sweaty workout to release all the body's toxins! Satoshi plastered on a smile, a habit he formed which was supposed to be in the presence of others, but when dealing with droll paperwork, he might as well force some enjoyment out of this.

Running footsteps peeled his attention away.

 _"Isshiki-senpai!"_

 _BAM!_

His stunning blue eyes flew open and latched onto the abrupt scene in front of him.

"Aldini-kun? Kanda-san?"

The two teens battered down his heavy doors and were reduced to huffing and puffing. Their uniforms were a mess as if they'd run a marathon. Judging by the distance of the Elite Ten offices and the main school buildings, they probably had done the Iron-man race. What on Earth happened? The first thing he thought of was something was going on at the Stadium. Aldini-kun trudged over to his desk and gripped the plush arm chair but refused to sit in it. Kanda-san was nearly crawling on the floor, in a worse state than Aldini-kun, gasping for breath painfully.

"SSSStairs…n-never…a-again" she choked out from her position on the floor.

"I-Isshiki-senpai…" Aldini-kun coughed into his hand, still trying to catch his breath. "Orihara Izaya was h-here!"

A chill went down his spine. After all this time, _now_ the information broker had emerged from the rock he'd been hiding under?

"Is he still here?" asked Satoshi. He whipped out his red pre-paid phone and started dialling for Shoseki-san, the policeman with the eyepatch. Aldini-kun shook his head. It didn't matter, Orihara couldn't have gotten far.

" _Hello? Isshiki-kun?"_

Satoshi held up his hand to silence the students before they could say anything so he could concentrate on Shoseki-san.

"Orihara Izaya had been spotted on campus, but I'm afraid he's already left" he said, waiting with bated breath for the next plant of action.

His concentration didn't last long as Aldini-kun and Kanda-san burst out again.

"And he's brought other people to our school too. I don't know who they are but, they don't look good!" said Aldini-kun, panic evident in his voice.

"And the car Orihara-san drove off in was a black Lexus IS250 F-sport 2009 model. Chrome wheels, eighteen inches. Fifty percent tinted windows. Number plate is _Adachi three-five-six ta one-seven dash double four_.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Umm… _Otou-san_ gave me tips and tricks in case I ever got kidnapped. Like memorising car…stuff?" Kanda-san blushed and fidgeted on the spot.

"… _What's the girl's name?"_ came the smooth reply.

That was certainly loud enough for Chief Inspector Shoseki to hear. The seventh seater pretended that what just happened didn't sound bizarre to him at all.

"Kanda Ayame sir, just a visitor to our school" Satoshi furrowed his eyebrows wondering why the Chief Inspector her name would be relevant. He tried to swivel away in his chair hoping to avoid sudden outbursts into the receiver.

" _Oh hooo? She'd make daddy proud, won't she. Anything else?"_

What on Earth did he mean by that? Satoshi schooled his face as he glanced towards Kanda-san as she continued to fidget on the spot. There didn't seem to be anything special about her apart from her seemingly eidetic memory. The Italian student was rubbing her back, trying to calm her nerves. Hmm, for some reason Aldini-kun seemed more held together than he thought. One mystery at a time. Satoshi shook his head and got back into the matter at hand

"…Yes sir. He's brought potential trespassers to Tootsuki too. The car he took off in was—"

" _Yeah, yeah I already got that down. Just dispatched my best team for Orihara and contacted the local precinct. I'm going to come down right now to interview witnesses too and check out these special guest of yours. Make sure nobody leaves the school. Keep your classes running as per normal"_ he said. Satoshi could tell he was walking somewhere " _Do you know who he's brought?"_

"I'm afraid not. But I will look into that myself"

Satoshi snapped his fingers at the two students and pointed to the door. They instantly flew to attention. He pushed himself out of the over-soft chair and ushered the two students in front of him out of the office and he locked the doors behind them. This was getting serious now. Satoshi had prepared himself for a situation like this, but he didn't think it would actually happen. Now that it dawned on him, he wasn't sure how capable he'd manage this chaos threatening to spill into the school. But he had no time to think of the repercussions. He had to focus on the now and hoped for the best that everything will turn out fine. Aldini-kun grabbed Kanda-san's hands and Satoshi lead them down to the limousine holding area. The three of them quickly filed into the nearest limo, which was already running which was convenient. With a quick bark at the limo driver to get them to the main _Shokugeki_ stadium at full speed, they were shooting off.

"Takumi-kun, what about your bicycle?" Kanda-san pointed out the window.

Satoshi glanced outside and spotted a sports bike resting at the bicycle rack with two sets of helmets hanging on the handlebars before it disappeared from view. Ah, so that's how they made it here so quickly. They came on bicycle. He guessed Aldini-kun's constant biking routine from commuting between classes had paid off wonderfully.

"Not to worry, I'll have somebody send your bike back to your locking area, Aldini-kun"

"Ah… _grazie._ Isshiki-senpai. Oh! And please make sure the police interview Kobayashi-senpai too" said Aldini-kun. "She knows him"

"Will do" said Satoshi curtly.

He switched his red pre-paid phone into his usual school cellphone.

"Hello security? This is Isshiki Satoshi, seventh seat of the Elite Ten Council. Yes, make sure Kobayashi Rindou doesn't leave campus. Also, who authorised additional visitors today?"

"… _He had an Nakiri Familiy edict Isshiki-san"_

"Who?"

 _Beep Beep_

He never got his answer.

Satoshi yanked his phone from his ears and sighed loudly. Great. His phone battery was flat. If his day wasn't getting worse... Didn't matter. He'd soon find out what's going on. The auburn haired upperclassman straightened his tie and raked his hands through his soft hair to ease the mounting tension coiling in his gut. It was then he suddenly noticed that Aldini-kun and Kanda-san were looking at him weirdly, as if he'd grown two heads. So he eased a comforting smile onto his face. The shining happy face most students were familiar with. They'd probably never seen him when he was getting serious over something. Well, if Aldini-kun ever got to be part of the Elite Ten in the future, he too would develop a façade himself to deal with the stress and diplomacy with the board of directors. Speaking of the board of directors, they were going to blow the roof and call as many lawyers needed to fill Polar Star plantations.

 _'Which is exactly why the police doesn't trust them...'_

Once they've arrived at the main _Shokugeki_ stadium, the seventh seater lead the charge. He didn't wait for the two students to catch up to him. He noticed another limo parked right outside the main entrance of the _Shokugeki_ stadium and other smaller black cars parked carelessly around it. A wealthy trespasser meant trouble. He narrowed his eyes and shoved the disgust down his throat. He shoved the doors open and strode briskly into the foyer. He turned sharply up the stairs until he could get into the upstairs viewing box exclusive to competitors.

"What's going on?" he ordered as soon as he reached the viewing box. He glanced around hoping to find Rindou but to his disappointment, she wasn't there.

"Isshiki-senpai! No idea, but out of nowhere these guys just showed up" said Yukihira-kun, pointing to the windows.

"A-And Nakiri-san… something's wrong with her" said Tadokoro-kun scuttling up to him.

The blunette's lips quivered with tears of worry threating to spill and her voice wavered with fright. She pointed a shaking finger at the Nakiri heiress. Satoshi's confusion widened. Nakiri Erina was petrified in her chair, her fingers bunched tightly together on her legs and if she bunched further her hands would bleed. She was sweating uncontrollably Her face was completely drained of colour. Her pale pink lips were slightly opened and quivering. But her eyes… those deep purple eyes which were usually bright and arrogant were swirling in _fear. Pure, unadulterated fear_. It was like she was seeing a terrifying nightmare monster from her childhood manifested into a corporeal being as large as life itself. Nothing could possible break her from her sudden spell. Her frightened gaze was glued onto the intruder on the stadium centre.

He pursed his lips and went to take a look himself. Satoshi wasn't one to swear at all even the direst of consequences, but if he did, he'd say _'We're fucked'_.

"Is that who I think it is?" he asked Arato-san.

"Yes, _senpai…"_ she whispered.

It was him

 _Nakiri Azami._

* * *

 **Shit is about to go down. The two subplots were always fated to intertwine and now they are. This is where my story is taking the AU version of Nakiri Azami's introduction in the manga. It took me 36 chapters to get there, but here we frickin' are!**

 **Ooohhh Orihara and Rindou share a past, stemming all the way from her own Stagiare in his Ikebukuro territory, back when she was a itty bitty first year. Will we ever get to know what happened between them?**

 **Looks like Takumi has become a bit of a changed person. Well... that's only according to Ayame's, Isami's and Isshiki's perspective hehe. Will we be seeing changes in Ayame after their 'Paradiso' I wonder?**

 **Once again, you readers have been super amazing! You guys motivate me and are the real champions here. Until next time, see you soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	35. From One Dragon's Jaw to Another

_Chapter 35 - From One Dragon's Jaw to Another_

* * *

' _All my nightmares have come at once'_

Up on the podium was none other than Nakiri Azami. He dominated the podium with no mercy, his uniformed men flanking both sides and the front of the podium. Satoshi whipped his head around to check all the emergency exits and other entrances only to confirm that there were more uniformed men guarding them. Nobody was coming in or out, so they were condemned to be part of this insanity.

The judges were boxed in and were left stupefied at this sudden and totally uncalled for interruption to the wrapping-up of today's matches. Satoshi's insides broiled. For weeks and weeks, he'd been trying to track Nakiri Azami's movements through the news, social media, word of mouth from as many connections as he could get. That included Doujima-san and his fellow alumni. So far he could only glean that this monstrous and elusive man was most recently in China. No information pointed to him being in Japan, including the police! That was until now since he's right there. He placed a hand on Nakiri Erina's shoulder but her quaking wouldn't cease.

"Kurokiba-kun" said Satoshi. "Go out to the front of the school, wait for the police to arrive and bring them here. Take the north-west corridor window and scale down so those men don't see you"

"But we have security—"

"They can't do anything for us right now" Satoshi cut off Alice-san. He didn't mean to sound harsh, but that was the reality of it.

Kurokiba-kun gave a small nod at his upperclassman. He casted a last glare towards Azami down below before exiting the viewing box swiftly. Once again, his _kohais_ were giving him strange looks. They better get used to seeing the serious side of him. Of course he tried to appease their discomfort by smiling, the same way he did for Aldini-kun and Kanda-san in the limo, but from their reactions it looked like it was losing it's usual benevolent charm.

Azami's soulless eyes were deep pools of pure blackness and it sent a shiver up Satoshi's spine. His face was pale as the moon and grim, with shadows accentuating the aristocratic highness of his cheekbones and his brows. His thin lips were twisted in an insincere smile as if he had the gall to think he was welcomed to the school, but Satoshi knew better. He was decked out in long, black trench coat, black waistcoat, dress-shirt, leather gloves, black slacks, and shoes. His tie and a streak of his hair were painted a glowing silver. He might as well have walked off a thirties mafia movie. He raised his hand and one of his henchman snatched the microphone from the student emcee and offered it to Azami with both hands, head bowing to avoid all eye contact like an obedient Igor to his Dracula.

" _Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls. My name is Nakiri Azami. I apologise for my abrupt interruption to one of your most celebrated competitions. I have come with good tidings for Tootsuki which you all may or may not understand at first, but don't worry it will in time"_

His voice betrayed the sincerity of his words. It was coated with sickeningly sweet venom, so patronising and condescending that Satoshi felt nauseous from hearing it. His tone was obnoxiously aristocratic, the type where one pretended to be of noble birth and so, would over compensate and put in that extra lilt. The audience gasped in unison and it flooded the whole stadium. Whispers became frantic and murmurs escalated to of shouts. They were suddenly drowned out by just a echoing snap of his finger, like a gunshot in the night. The audience fell silent. Satoshi prayed that Chief Inspector Shoseki would get here soon.

" _What the hell is this?"_ demanded CEO Uchiha.

He stood up from his seat and so did CEO Uzumaki. They were coiled springs waiting to attack Azami at the smallest provocation which Satoshi had seen only in the best trained guard dogs, obviously not impressed by what's transpiring around them. Nakiri Azami merely turned around, as if he'd forgotten they were there. He wasn't intimated by their calibre and standing in the Japanese food world at all. Doctor Haruno was flexing her arms already, snarling through her perfect make-up and sending Azami the evil-eye.

" _My esteemed judges. I thank you for taking part in Tootsuki's illustrious judging panel and your services are much appreciated. However, I regrettably must terminate your contract for the rest of the competition as you will no longer be needed"_

" _What right do you have?"_ scoffed CEO Uchiha.

Azami smirked cruelly. _"I have every right as the true Director of Tootsuki"_

The whole stadium was ignited into pandemonium.

Outrage and confusion spread like wildfire as the students were thrown into turmoil. Satoshi wanted to slap himself in the forehead. How could he have been so blind! Why else would Nakiri Azami hire an information broker to infiltrate Tootsuki's systems?! For sixteen years, this man disappeared with nothing but his first name and his family name rescinded upon excommunication. Not a word was heard from him for a decade until he suddenly rose to power in The States, South East Asia and the Middle East in recent times. Satoshi thought Azami just wanted to create his own gourmet food empire to compete against the Nakiri family. Not _once_ in that time had he touched Tootsuki. Satoshi had all the slivers of information, but he couldn't piece them together until now because they kept slipping through his fingers like egg-whites. Everything was going fine for the past sixteen years for the disowned son-in-law and biological father of the current heiress. Then suddenly out of nowhere he stuck his nose into the school servers. Of course it now made sense! He first needed to build his influences away from Nakiri eyes. He needed the financial strength, proper social standing and backing to do what he was about to. And where better but to start at his alma mater.

This was a usurpation.

A usurpation planned for sixteen years.

"What the hell is he saying?!" The younger Aldini-kun yelled.

"H-He's a _Nakiri?!"_ squeaked Tadokoro-kun.

"I thought he was c-completely disowned!" gasped Arato-san.

That's when all his _kouhais_ turned to the rosette haired secretary, demanding all sorts of answers from her.

"Not disowned. He was excommunicated. He married into the family. What you're looking at is Erina-san's _Father_ " said Satoshi, diverting some of the attention back to him to save Hisako from the interrogations.

"Shit… really?" Sōma-kun gasped. "Where had he been all this time? Why isn't Nakiri happy to see him?"

The Nakiri heiress was getting worse and worse by the second the more she stared at her Father. The Father who abused her within an inch of her sanity. It was in those times that Satoshi truly pitied her. He motioned for Arato-san to take her charge the hell out of here before her trauma consumed her and fully break down in front of her peers.

"She has her reasons" said Satoshi.

It seemed to satisfy Sōma-kun temporarily once he understood the state Erina-san was in, so he didn't push. This was also the first time any of them had seen Erina-san like this and Satoshi could practically taste the bewilderment in the air. She was at her traumatic breaking point. Mentioning the man's name was enough to make her break out into a cold sweat, which also happened that time when he had set up a meeting with the Nakiri cousin's the day he came back from visiting Eizan-kun in jail. Erina-san was quickly raised to her feet with support from both sides as Arato-san and Alice-san gently lead her away from the viewing box, whispering desperate assurances to her, but it did nothing to bring her out from her nightmares.

"W-We'll take her to the bathroom… to wash her face…" said Arato-san.

Satoshi nodded. Tadokoro-kun anxiously hovered over the three of them, trying to offer additional help as it was in her nature, bless her, but she eventually let them go, nervously wringing her hands together.

" _Bring Senzaemon here"_

Satoshi turned his attention back to the scene below the viewing box. Azami sneered at the closest Tootsuki official who was rooted to the spot. The official scurried away without a moment to lose.

" _Anyhow, I'm so glad to be back in this stadium! So nostalgic. It's been almost a lifetime and I see that a lot has changed. But that's not enough. I believe more change is in order, to prevent the regressive path the current director, my Father-in-law had doomed Tootsuki to take. And as the true director, I'll return Tootsuki to the glory she once was"_

He strolled around the podium like he owned it, talking as if he was in a casual conversation with the audience over coffee, not seeing how insane he was sounding. The judges were as dumbstruck as the audience, not fully comprehending what on earth Azami was talking about and Satoshi didn't blame them.

" _He keeps saying 'true' director…"_

Satoshi jolted on the spot at the low, husky voice. He completely forgot that Kuchiyose-san had an all access pass given to him by Nakiri Erina and of course would want to see his ex-girlfriend compete. It wasn't hard to figure out eventually... He loitered around the back of his _kouhais_ distancing himself from the window with his arms crossed over his chest as he could easily see over their heads. His face was absolutely neutral since the events didn't really affect him. He and Kanda-san probably wouldn't be able to leave anyway since all the exits and entrances were blocked, and he couldn't find it in himself to ask Kanda-san to escape through the window. It was safer if both Karakura students stayed with them.

" _ **AZAMI!"**_

The thunderous, booming voice of the 'Demon Food King' Nakiri Senzaemon demolished the suffocating hold his son-in-law had on all those in the stadium. The students gasped again and a trickle of hope passed through Satoshi. Senzaemon-dono emerging through the entrance doorway clad in his usual moss green _haori_ and _hakama._ His all-consuming powerful presence quelled Satoshi's churning insides. He brought with him a tumultuous anger and rage befitting of the 'Demon Food King' in his wake, striking lightning bolts of fear within Satoshi's heart. It was funny, the highly respected culinary expert conjured both hope and fear like a God.

" _ **WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"**_

" _Ah, Father. I'm so glad you could join me. I have a matter to settle with you regarding the future of Tootsuki"_ Azami welcomed him with fake politeness, full of impertinence and derision.

" _You are no son of mine. I'm sure I've told you to never step one foot back in Tootsuki and call yourself a Nakiri again. You have no business here. Leave at once!"_

" _I don't think so. We have unfinished business"_

" _What nonsense are you spouting? You disgrace us with your presence!"_

" _Hmph… This"_

Azami whipped out an old, aging scroll from his inside jacket pocket and held it out to his Father-in-law, _daring_ him to take it. It was small and ornate, wrapped in azure blue silk with embroidered cranes. It was delicately tied together with a beautiful red and white silk cord. His grin spread and a cackle was about to burst through the seams of his lips. Satoshi watched as recognition passed through the Director's eyes and Senzaemon-dono snatched it from him with his large and calloused hand. His nostril flared in barely controlled ire and he could practically see the pressurised steam from his nose, whistling past his thick moustache. His aging, but sharp and intense eyes were so full of hate. The large scar over his right eye making him look all the more brutal. He kept them on Azami as he stared him down and he unfurled the scroll with a harsh snap. His eyes skimmed down and then it suddenly widened.

" _This can't be…!"_ gasped Senzaemon-dono.

" _That's right. It belongs to your deceased daughter, my late wife"_ said Azami triumphantly. _"Nadeshiko's '_ _ **yuigonshō**_ _'"._

"L-Last Will and Testament?" stuttered Tadokoro-kun, echoing everybody elses' shock.

" _How did you—"_

" _Get the real one? I have my ways. A good contact of mine was able to get into Tootsuki's network. It was so idiotic of you, but advantageous to me when you merged the Nakiri Family server to the school's server. Didn't take long to find the right files leading to it's location, especially when you are so diligent to back-up everything you do"_ chuckled Azami. _"You've always hated me, Father. Your hate for me over-shadowed your love for your own daughter. You ignored her dying wishes. When your eldest son, Soue relinquished his birth-right to take over Tootsuki to chase some Danish trollop and start his research facility, he passed his position as Director onto Nadeshiko. She was then destined to be the next Director of Tootsuki after your reign and she prepared for it like the dutiful daughter she was"_

Satoshi drank in everything Azami said. Everyone knew Lady Nadeshiko was supposed to be the current Director, as part of their curriculum to learn Tootsuki's history. Obviously Nakiri Azami's name was omitted out of everything and was instead a vague and hazy footnote in Tootsuki's history. Not even his name or picture were left. However, her untimely death shortly after Nakiri Erina was born blew a hole in the centre of the Nakiri Family. Her brother, Alice-san's Father, Soue-sama, returned for the funeral but still refused to be the next director. Senzaemon-dono was grief stricken, but had no choice but to re-take the mantle as Tootsuki's Director whilst dealing with his only daughter's death. Nakiri Erina grew up without a mother, nor a grand-Father in those early years. The textbook must have weaved additional details to try and seal the hole Lady Nadeshiko's death left behind, enough for the students not to question the veiled truth. Satoshi guessed that Director Senzaemon's grief temporarily blinded him to Azami's mental abuse and torturous regime on his grand-daughter for her God's Tongue. No wonder he was able to get away with that for so long.

" _But alas, it was never meant to be. She made her yuigonshō before death took her. She bequeathed the Director's position to me. TO ME, as exactly stated in her will that you have in your hand"_

" _No. This is fake. She did NO such thing"_ boomed Director Nakiri.

" _Oh no, no, no. You can't fool me this time around. She told me herself!"_ Azami spat at Senzaemon-dono. _"She wanted me to take the position for her. Changing a person's yuigonshō after they've died doesn't render the original fake, but rather that's illegal isn't it? YOU created the fake yuigonshō"_

" _Yuigonshō?_ " asked Hayama-san.

"A _yuigonshō_ is the Japanese 'Last Will and Testament'. It requires the testator to be of sound mind and to handwrite the complete will with name, date and place their _hanko_ stamp on it all by themselves with a witness present. Its purpose is to officially declare that they pass on all their worldly possessions, estate, finances or whatever in the event of their death, to whomever they chose and to make any final wishes" said Kanda-san.

She remained by Takumi Aldini's side and her face was reduced to a thoughtful green gaze as if she was putting as much effort as Satoshi was into analysing the situation the school was in now. He heard from Aldini-kun that she was quite the clever girl and her reasoning and problem-solving skills were well above average for someone her age.

"…My grand-Father wrote one before the symptoms of his dementia took away his legal capacity to do so... The Nakiri Family is an old and noble family, so they must have stuck with the traditional method and their members would probably write a **'holographic'** _yuigonshō"_ she continued.

"What's a 'holographic' _yuigonshō?"_ asked Sōma-kun.

"It's a _yuigonshō_ that doesn't have a witness for the writing and signing. In case of emergencies such as umm… his wife being already on her deathbed so suddenly and had never written one before, I suppose. It could be done unwitnessed and the government will treat it the same as a 'witnessed' _yuigonshō_ " continued Kanda-san.

"Damn… I can't believe those type of traditions still exists. That'll cause all sorts of problems" commented Sōma-kun.

"I know… Usually, you're supposed to go to the _kōshōnin_ , which are notary offices to create a 'Notary Deed Will' as it's much safer and more reliable than a holographic _yuigonshō_ " said Kanda-san "It took months for _Otou-san_ to drag _Ojii-san_ to one…" she muttered under her breath.

The blonde Aldini seemed to be only one to understand that last implication as he pulled a complicated facial expression.

Satoshi moved his eyes from Kanda-san and back to the stadium. A handwritten scroll. It was definitely a holographic Last Will and Testament.

Meanwhile, the Nakiri patriarch was about to burst an artery and his jaws were clenched so tightly his teeth could shatter on impact. Satoshi knew nothing about this debacle and he couldn't help but let himself be snared by this family saga unfolding shamelessly in front of the whole school.

" _You have no proof"_ grounded out Senzaemon-dono.

" _Care to find out?"_ Azami pulled out another something from his pockets and waved it in front of the director's face. It was a memory stick.

" _What is that?"_

" _You can't actually doctor a handwritten will, you'd need to re-do the whole thing from scratch. You'd need an underground forger for that. And that forger needs an example of her handwriting and her hanko stamp. Guess who's on this memory stick?"_

It didn't take a genius to guess, but that was the cruel joke.

" _Trust me, he will testify. I have blackmail on him too. But I digress. Nadeshiko had a specific custom-made calligraphy set from Kyoto which she was fond of and always used it for writing her poems. You recognise it don't you? It didn't surprise us she'd use it to write her yuigonshō too, did it? She only had one scroll left after that. You had to work quickly and forge one using the last of her calligraphy set before submitting it to a lawyer for validation. You didn't have time to order a new custom-made set for her, especially with people asking why after she's already dead"._

" _How dare you-"_

 _"NO! HOW DARE_ _ **YOU!**_ _You buried the original yuigonshō of my dear Nadeshiko, so far and so deep. Beneath the Nakiri Winter Villa in Hokkaidou no less! It took a professional information broker to locate it! Even in death you stole my wife from me!"_

Azami burst out at Senzaemon-dono, breaking his façade long enough to reveal the psychotic madman within. His saliva flew in all directions like a rabid dog. Satoshi suspended his disbelief high out of reach. He caught a glimpse of crazed pain flitting across Azami's abysmal eyes, but it disappeared as fast as it came. Senzaemon-dono instantly fell silent. The estranged Nakiri pulled himself away from the director once he realised he had encroached too close to the muscular and fit Director without thought. He dramatically spun around and strode back away across the podium with heavy clicks of his expensive shoes. He raked his gloved hand through his hair right across his scalp, smoothing down the imaginary tangles. His lone silver tress glinted in the stadium lights. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, and slowly at least five times each with closed eyes to reign himself in, preserving his dignity. When he opened them again, the greasy and oily gourmet food expert resurfaced with his original airs and graces, and calculating, snide smirk, like nothing had happened.

"N-none of this tr-true... right? I-Isshiki-senpai?" Tadokoro-kun pleaded.

He ignored her.

Orihara Izaya. So that's why Azami hired him. To uncover the location of the secret and hidden Last Will and Testament, as well as any documentation alluding to contacts with forgers. Could there perhaps be digital duplicates on that memory stick too? In this day and age, digital duplicates of a _yuigonshō_ , could be made to preserve authenticity in the event that the original was destroyed. The trouble with a holographic _yuigonshō_ was the risk of family quarrels over the meaning of expressions in the will . A lost _yuigonshō_ would cause great distress upon the family. He doubted Senzaemon-dono would do such a thing.

" _Even if your accusations were true, this fictional forger you've conjured up would have destroyed the evidence of having my daughter's handwriting sample and any contacts to us"_ growled Senzaemon-dono. He remained unyielding to Azami's tirade.

Azami shook his head and tucked the memory stick back into his inside jacket pocket. He smiled cruelly like a card-counter with more tricks up his sleeves. This couldn't be good… If what Azami said were all true, Senzaemon-dono forged his daughter's _yuigonshō_ to erase Azami's chance to take Tootsuki? What more ill news would fall from his lips now?

" _He wasn't very good at being 'underground' I'm afraid. Also, not every underground forger is taught in the ways of re-creating a yuigonshō. He failed to notice that her will was_ _ **'chirographed'"**_

 _Chirographed?_ Satoshi narrowed his eyes. _Kami-sama…_ What more was there to this will? Kanda-san's shelf of facts ended right there. She was just as astonished as the rest of them. They didn't need to wait long as Azami deigned them the answer instead.

" _The right-sided edge of her scroll is indented with small serrated cuts. Which both you and your forger had overlooked as minor stationary decoration. That was your first mistake. In chirographed documents, the serrated edges indicate being paired with another scroll of the same content with matching serrated edges that fit together like jigsaw pieces. It's a way of verifying that it's genuine. The other pair is given to the bequeathed or another for safe keeping. It's a Medieval practice from England which I don't expect you to know. Nadeshiko was always fascinated by British Medieval History, wasn't she? She made that herself and you've probably realised now that it wasn't on the false yuigonshō that you had made sixteen years ago"_

The Director unfurled the scroll again to inspect the edges and damn, Azami was correct. The right-edge had small triangular cuts from top to bottom. His eyes widened, stumped that such a detail could possibly escape his notice sixteen years ago.

 _"Then where is the other copy, you claimed she wrote?"_

 _"She gave it to me, Father"_ he spat 'Father' like it was filthy.

It was starting to look like a losing battle from Satoshi's point of view. He begged for this torment to be over. Like a horror movie that didn't want to end, Azami pulled out a second scroll which looked almost identical to the first.

Same size.

Same azureness.

Same cranes.

Same thickness.

Same red and white silk cord.

The only difference was the serrated edges were on the _left_ side. Satoshi gulped and imagined that if both copies of the will were unfurled and placed side by side together, the serrated edges would match like paired pendants.

The larger and older man looked so weary, thinned out, like butter spread over too much bread. Satoshi couldn't process the reality of seeing the always strong, confident and wise man looking so damaged. He was like a grandfather for all the students here and if the steady rock they all relied on was suddenly being pushed by the wind down the slope, it was game over for them all. His large and powerful shoulders were shrunk back under the weight and his eyes were shadowed to the point that Satoshi couldn't see it. His luscious and thick main of grey hair, which was evidence for his sageness lost its shine and for some reason looked dull and scraggly. He always looked so spiritedly and virile for his advanced age, but right now he was physically showing his true age of over ninety years. He was rendered heart-broken.

The seventh seater's heart ached for the Director at being attacked by the snake, striking right in the underbelly. That was Azami. A cold, merciless, ruthless predator using his wife's death and twisting it to force Director Senzaemon to his metaphorical knees. It was too late to think of reasons to poke holes into Azami's story because the Director's silence said everything was _painfully true._

"... _I wrote you off the will because of your insatiable greed to monopolise and force your deplorable ideals onto the gourmet food world!"_

Satoshi momentarily closed his it all cave down on his head.

 _"Why_ _now…"_ he demanded. _"Why dredge this up naught but sixteen years later?"_

 _"I needed to be more powerful than you first"_

Satoshi shook his head. His theory was right.

" _You saw her death as an opportunity, knowing full well she trusted you to uphold the morals to nurture the budding talents young chefs in the right way! You soil my daughter's memories with this unnecessary performance. I saw the blackness grow in your heart. Gourmet food that only has one faith, one answer, and all sense of originality and creativity to be purged. You've always wished to make it exclusive to the affluent or anyone that fits your absurd upper-class criteria. No! Talent, skill and passion is all one needs to reach one's dream. One could be an orphan from the slums of Bangladesh, or lived all their lives in a squalid Scandinavian pub, or even be a simple diner chef for the working class. As long as their heart is true, Tootsuki will give them the equal opportunity the same as anyone from a privileged family to spread their wings. You think all others are worthless and that's the creed you live your miserable life by. You have narrowed your views so far you no longer see the true beauty of food. That is not what dearest Nadeshiko would want for the school she loved. If she had known the man you have become, she object to you becoming the director and turning Tootsuki into a factory of chefs by your own destructive image!"_

Senzaemon-dono's demonic-like aura was back. Azami bared him a nasty snarl.

" _DON'T talk to me about what my wife would've wanted… she's already DEAD"_ Azami hissed back aggressively. _"It doesn't change the fact that legally, Tootsuki should be MINE. Instead, you left Erina to me and that's the only thing I will thank you for. I've polished her God's Tongue to what it is today. All that blood and education I've blessed her with won't go away and she's perfect to stand by my side to carve out the future fit for Tootsuki"_

" _Leaving Erina to you was my greatest mistake"_

" _And so was this"_ Azami held up the other pair of the scroll again.

 _"You should've finished the job and burnt it. Instead, guilt ate you and you couldn't destroy the one thing she poured her heart in soul into right before she died. Your weakness is your demise. You were foolish to think I wouldn't come after this. I can take you to court because everything has already been authenticated. If you fight me, it will be a long... egregious... and VERY public process. But I will savour every moment of it, because the outcome is inevitable. The law will force you to hand all of Tootsuki's assets to me and you will have NOTHING left except your damned family and another scandal worthy of the name. Are you sure you want to go through with that?"_

" _Listen to yourself Azami… Have you truly grieved for your wife?"_

Azami turned to face him again and pointed a gloved finger at his face. The younger Nakiri's expressive was stone-hardened so impassively it was impossible for Satoshi to figure out what he was thinking. It was clear that the Director's attempt to reach out to his estranged son-on-law was quickly deflected back into his face before it could leave a mark. It was like time had stopped and the only thing that mattered was this ...thing... happening between the two Nakiris. Azami's eyes were frozen cold, full of fury and loathing. If he was feeling any pain or hurt at the mention of his wife like that, Satoshi could not see it. He was a wound up steel trap now, his patience running out like a diminishing fuse.

" _…You know NOTHING of my grief…"_

Azami snatched his hand back and squared his shoulders, staring defiantly back at Director, his eyes transformed into ablaze like molten tar. The creases in his face deepend with anguish. It was his turn to clench is jaw tightly. Then a slow self-assured smirk grew on his pale face as if he already thought he'd won. Satoshi could still detect the slight trembling of carefully concealed rage in his voice beneath the smugness.

" _Turn the position to me quietly… and willingly… or so help me… I will run Tootsuki into the ground and bury it so deep even History will forget"_

It was the old, _'If I can't have it, no one can'_ tactic and Satoshi truly believed that Nakiri Azami was mad and crazy enough to do it, no question about it.

"DON'T DO IT!" Sōma-kun banged on the window, scaring the other students in the room half to death, but it caught no-one's attention down below.

He spun around and ran out the viewing box kicking up metaphorical dust, jumping down the stairs three at a time. So did the Aldini Twins, Hayama-san, Mimasaka-san, Kuchiyose-kun, Kanda-san and Tadokoro-kun. Satoshi had no choice but to chase after them, hoping that Sōma-kun wouldn't do anything stupid to get them all into trouble. They pushed passed Azami's men, elbowing them and shoving them out of the way until they made it up to the stage front, but were further blocked from climbing up. It didn't stop Sōma-kun from cupping his hands over his mouth and shouting like his life depended on it.

"DON'T GIVE INTO HIM, OLD MAN!" yelled Sōma-kun.

"YEAH! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE THE DIRECTOR!" Isami Aldini joined him, loud and proud. Satoshi and the older Aldini were both shocked at the sudden passionate burst from the usually placid Aldini.

"If we're all banding together, then don't leave me out! WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU TAKE OVER US!" Takumi Aldini joined his brother's side.

"Ummm… Uhhhhh… KARAKURA HIGH SCHOOL SUPPORTS TOOTSUKI!" screamed Kanda-san.

Satoshi believed he had probably seen it all. Kanda Ayame, an outsider to Tootsuki who had nothing to do with this, was swept up by the electrifying moment and hollered shrilly anything she could come up with.

"Usually I hate crowds, but I guess this is momentous enough for me to be okay with" said Hayama-kun as he wasn't really one to show his emotions so grandly.

Soon the audience started hollering along with Sōma-kun, and his beloved Polar Star Dormitory took the lead and started waving their patchwork banners frantically through the air, screaming at the top of their lungs. The din rose higher and higher until it Satoshi couldn't bare it, but he didn't care. He could be rendered deaf and he would still be extremely happy at the sight of the stadium jumping up onto their feet. The crowd cried out in opposition to Azami, both in regular words and colourful ones. Satoshi couldn't be prouder to be a Tootsuki student. They were standing up not just for themselves, but for the school and the future of the school. They knew bad management when they saw one and they obviously were not taking kindly to this unannounced stranger making a grab for the seat himself who didn't even have the decency to have an official meeting. Azami's plan to make a ludicrous stage production out of this family drama to win over the student's sympathy had beautifully backfired. They couldn't give a rat's arse for the legality of all this. They just didn't want _him._

"GET HIM OUTTA HERE!" That was the unmistakable shrill sound of Yoshino-kun climbing over Marui-kun's shoulders.

"WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS?! I OUGHTA RIP HIS BALLS OUT!" Daigo-kun and Shōji-kun pounded their fists together.

"JERK! HE DID _NOT_ JUST COME IN HERE AND TRASH OUR DIRECTOR WITH A LAME ASS SOB STORY!" Mito-san stood up and brandished her fists at Azami, amongst the Polar Star Dorm as kindred.

Satoshi temporarily ignored the revolting students. His only concern was the Director's decision. Azami had the legal precedent on his side which he feared the most. In the last two centuries, the noble families were toppling off their high horse, while the working class was moving up. It was a slow and steady change, but a change nonetheless. Most noble clans crumbled to dust, refusing to down-size and adapt to the progressive world the West brought, and consequentially, they squandered their wealth away, trying to preserve their aristocracy and tradition for the sake of keeping face. None were as lucky, or had the good sense, as the Nakiris and the Uchihas. These clans took a leap of faith and dived into the commercial business to keep their existence and name alive with the changing times, sacrificing their nobility to actually 'work' and 'work for themselves'.

However there was always a downside...

 _'Senzaemon-dono is cornered'_

Noble families were no longer above the law. Nakiri Senzaemon had no hope of the government giving him any leniency or special treatment. He broke the law, and now it was catching up to him. He was equal to any common criminal. Azami had him in his iron-grip. Satoshi's eyes remained transfixed on the Director as he hadn't said a word and Azami's smirk grew, unaffected by the stadium's protest. However, he was adept at reading lips and what he read from the Director's grim ones made his heart sink to the furthest depths.

" _Promise me, you won't hurt Erina…"_

" _I have no need to hurt her. She'll follow me willingly"_ replied Azami.

Nakiri Azami had won.

* * *

 _ **Later that night**_

Darkness.

Coldness.

Too small _._

Boxed in.

Four walls.

No light.

No way out.

' _Now… believe only in your Father… Throw away everything else'_

Pain.

Agony.

Too tight.

Fear.

Horror

Terror

' _N-No! Father! I beg of you please! You're h-hurting me… I don't want to do this! Father!'_

Anger.

Rage

Fury.

Wrath.

Hate.

'… _I see, I don't need girls who act like this'_

 _Trash._

 _Everything was trash._

 _She was trash._

"Ah!"

Her eye's flew upon. Erina remained paralysed on her bed as the gripping nightmare ebbed away. Was it a nightmare or was it a memory? She couldn't tell. Warm tears streaked across her temple as she blinked slowly in the darkness of her room. She didn't realise she had cried in her sleep. Sleep… that's what happened. She fell asleep. Her room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight and she found no beauty in that. Her limbs felt lifeless and heavy. It was so cold. Every movement she made caused a nauseating sickness to jolt in her stomach so she stayed put.

' _It's been a long time since I last had that dream'_

The competition... the Reshuffle Competition was no more... What happened when Father made his first appearance in sixteen years? Right... Hisako took her to the bathroom... It took forever to wash her face because of all her shaking. She couldn't think straight at all as she had fumbled with the taps. Hisako had to wet her personal hand towel for her and she was barely able to pat her own face. Alice was there to. She remembered. She was holding her by the shoulders making sure she didn't fall from her dizziness. They were saying words to her, but she couldn't hear them. There was this muffling din that sounded like yelling and shouting, but she wasn't sure. All she heard was _his_ voice. _Father's voice._ No, she wanted to call him anything else but her Father, but she had no choice. Even now, he still had a hold on her.

Everything else that happened after his appearance was a blur and Isshiki-senpai had to relay to her what happened from day to day since the new dynasty began.

Her mother.

She remembered _Ojii-sama_ telling her she had died when she was old enough to understand that for some reason she didn't have a mother like other kids. She must have been four years old at the time. It took some time for her to process Isshiki-senpai's story, that her mother wanted Father to take the Director's position from her, but _Ojii-sama_ prevented this from happening by illegally removing him from her mother's will. She honestly didn't know how to feel about that. Maybe Father would never have abused her if he had been allowed to take on Directorship of Tootsuki... or would he still have? It was impossible to tell. All she knew was that it started from her mother's death. How did she die exactly? Everyone said it was an illness as if it was just 'one of those unlucky things'. It was sudden. Erina never asked for details. Or maybe she did ask but couldn't remember the answer. It was all too much to take in. She should feel sad on her mother's behalf, but...

 _'Kami-sama... I don't have the strength to think...'_

 _Ojii-sama_ submitted. Father had won. No matter what happened, Father was going to take the seat because what _Ojii-sama_ had done was illegal and the law would only see Father as the victim who was unfairly cheated from the will. It was a matter of whether _Ojii-sama_ would give it up willingly or be subpoenaed with the same outcome, which would damage Tootsuki's and the Nakiri's image even further.

CEO Uchiha and CEO Uzumaki had left and severed all business ties with Tootsuki. Doctor Haruno had come very close to belting Father, but was held back by the other judges.

The police eventually came, but no arrests were made. They had intercepted and captured the information broker before they got here, so their case was wrapped. However, Chief Inspector Shoseki and Special Detective Rii and part of their team still came to Tootsuki to make sure Orihara hadn't smuggled any _yakuza_ or other armed men to the school. Isshiki-senpai told her that Father cooperated very well with the police's questioning behind his motives for hiring the information broker and he hadn't needed detainment or interrogations. He didn't pressed charges against _Ojii-sama_ either. In Japan, it wasn't illegal to hire an information broker. So when the police realised that Father hadn't committed any real criminal offenses and his connection with Orihara was no longer relevant, they left.

Kobayashi-senpai was on the next flight back to New York.

Father gave his inauguration speech to the whole school with an army of media reporters. He brought his own people over too from all across the world. He put the fear of God into the hearts of the students. Follow him or be expelled. It was simple. Follow him and he would show them a world of gourmet food unlike any other and he would turn them into the marvelous chef they've always dreamed. He'd teach them the secret techniques that would put them on top and show them the taste creations only the most divine could appreciate. He appealed to the dark wishes lurking in the students' heart, their wanton desires to be the best chef in the world. He tempted them with his silver tongue, seducing them with promises of success and power. His tongue was sterling silver and his charisma was addictive.

Hate turned to fear.

Fear turned to love.

Love turned to worship.

The ultimatum broke their will and the students had no choice. The prospect of leaving Tootsuki was much too disastrous and the students forced themselves to believe in him and their forced belief turned into reverence. They ate his words, they lapped up his promises. They gave in like mindless drones and chose to follow him blindly reaching for the carrot on the stick held by the Devil. Father's manipulation was a huge success and soon the almost the whole school were willing to do anything and everything for him

Father disbanded the current Elite Ten, except for her own seat. He planned to re-create it from the ground up into a new faction, selecting the strongest, most faithful and most deserving of his followers to represent his doctrine and enforce and model his teachings to their _kohais_ to revolutionise Tootsuki.

It was to be re-named as 'Central'.

Her nightmare continued. He deemed the curriculum worthless. He had pulled her out of her cooking practicums and had replaced them with taste-testing jobs, personally supervised by him. The terror she felt., she never wanted to feel that way again! It was like being careened back in time when she was six years old, sitting in the cold dark room doing nothing but tasting and throwing food into the bin!

' _Hisako… I won't be able to see Hisako anymore'_

The final blow was relieving Hisako of her duties. She had no idea until it was too late. Father had dismissed Hisako! That crushed her as she'd realise now that she was truly alone and at Father's beck and call. She'd be forced to rely on him again… Hisako had been her only friend. Her light and star during the most dismal of times and also during the brightest and happiest of times. Erina suddenly regretted never telling her how much Hisako meant to her and what a cherished friend she had always been. So many missed opportunities, now that Hisako was ripped away from her. What was she going to do without her best friend? Who was going to listen to her woes and stress and make it all better? Who was going to listen to her good news and offer her her favourite tea? Who was going to listen to how absurd but addictive her _shojou manga_ was? Who was going to give her advice on how to be nicer? Sadness overwhelmed her at the thought of never being able to enjoy those treasured experiences anymore. Hisako was no longer at her side. Dear and sweet Hisako who had been nothing by good and kind to her…

When Father told her what he wanted to do, all she said was _'Yes, Father'…_

She could feel it. She was becoming a husk, slowly about to be filled with despair, ready to be yanked on pupper strings.

Erina slowly lifted herself up onto her elbows, being careful not to slip until she was supporting herself with her palms flat against the bed. Her clothes felt so uncomfortable and tight like her throat. She was still in her school uniform, she hadn't changed out at all. She didn't have the energy anymore. It must be in the middle of the night right now… sleep eluded her.

' _Erina'_

She was too scared to close her eyes. If she closed her eyes, she would see his face and his cruel smile.

' _Erina…!'_

If she closed her eyes, she would feel the squeezing pain of his cold hands on her smaller wrist. Not letting go, even when she shrieked for him to stop.

" _Erina!"_

Erina's mind jolted. That was a real voice! She turned her head from side to side frantically. Was that Alice? it sounded like Alice. It had to be Alice! Finally, she located where it was coming from and turned towards the double French doors leading out to her spacious balcony. What on Earth?! Sure enough, her cousin was struggling to climb over the balcony! Her face was pinched and red, puffing her cheeks out. Her silver hair was a mess, strewn all over her face and she made vain attempts to blow them out of her eyes. She had one leg over and looked about ready to fall. Erina hurriedly got up and opened the double French doors. She had no idea what to do in this situation, wait for her to finish or help her up? Her hand hovered anxiously as Alice finally swung her legs over and landed neatly, patting down her skirt. Suddenly, Kurokiba-kun's face popped up from behind the railing with a distinct shoe print on his face from Alice using it as a ladder step to climb over.

"A-Alice?"

" _What are you being so slow for?!"_ her cousin huffed, with her hands firmly planted on her hips.

Erina flinched.

"We're escaping from the mansion!" her cousin continued yelling at her face.

" _Erina-sama!"_

"H-Hisako?"

Erina's heart skipped a beat. She craned her neck desperately over the balcony, peering through the darkness and caught the sight of her rosette-haired friend at the bottom of the ladder. She was peering back at her with a determined expression on her face, bathed in the moonlight. She hadn't felt so relieved in so long. She realised that all four of them were still dressed in their school uniform.

"What are you talking about?" she asked Alice, turning back to her

"Ryou-kun! Pack anything Erina will need into a suitcase! Clothes and toiletries! Step to it!" she spun away from Erina, brushing past her as she ordered her aide, pointing to the chest of drawers and the wardrobe.

" _Ousu"_

The Cerberus of Tootsuki made the final leap over the balcony and brushed past her following Alice like a man on a mission. He stopped at her queen-sized bed and knelt down to pull out a luggage case from underneath. How did he know that's where she kept her suitcase?! He went to work immediately, rifling through her clothes without hesitation.

"Alice! Please, explain what is going on? I can't just leave this place! Father will—"

"Always listening to what others tell you to do and what to feel. That rubbish ends now" Alice cupped her face, forcing Erina to look deep into her ruby red eyes. They were intense and unforgiving, brimming with a powerful defiance she wished she had. Most of all, she could see _care._

"Why are you doing this… Alice?"

"I found Hishoko throwing rocks at my window. She came up with a plan for you to get away from here."

Erina forced herself to look down, feeling so helpless whilst the ones she cared for were already taking matters into their own hands while she was stuck where she was.

"…My letters Erina… I sent so many of them… _But you never replied!"_ Alice yelled again. Her lashes were dotted with unshed tears which were already welling up.

Guilt and shamed overwhelmed her. "Th-That was—"

"I know… It was Uncle Azami's fault. Just had to get it off my chest... But anyhow, we're becoming runaways!" she declared in an excited whisper.

"Mi'lady, not so loud… I'm all finished" Kurokiba-kun emerged with a full luggage case.

Erina's eyes widened as Kurokiba-kun lifted it by its handle to show Alice, who nodded in approval. He immediately went back to the balcony. He swung his legs over, catching his foot on the ladder that was propped there and hefted the luggage along with him. Erina was amazed by his strength as he carried her luggage without breaking a sweat or a hint of a struggle.

"Come on, let's go"

Soon she and Alice were the last two to climb over and down the ladder to join their awaiting aides. Kurokiba-kun obediently lifted his arms to gently place them onto Erina's waist as she made it to the last rung so that she didn't slip and fall on her face. Once her feet were firmly on the ground, she didn't hesitate to throw her arms around Hisako and squeezed her tightly and Hisako did the same. When she finally parted, she fought back the tears. Years of penting up her tears due to Father punishing her for crying in front of others were still ingrained in her. The tears stung so much and no matter how hard she tried to make them fall, it couldn't. Alice yanked her arm and soon all four of them were running off into the adjoining woods.

' _Kurokiba-kun is running with my luggage on his back! Unbelieveable!'_

The dry grass crunched beneath her feet and were getting taller the further she ran into the forest. she could hardly see where she was going, only the random dappling of moonlight through the trees to help her. The grass whipped and scratched at her socks, snagging the soft fabric leaving burrs dotting all over it, but she didn't care. Adrenaline overtook her. _They were actually escaping!_ He chest heaved and her lungs felt ragged from gasping at the cold night air. She had no idea how long she was running for, she just concentrated on running. The chirping of crickets and hoots of owls surrounding them along with the other nightly critters amplified her paranoia. The thought of getting caught seized her with a new fear and her 'flight' response kicked off even harder. Any security lurking about could suddenly jump out and catch them! She tried to dodge the small branches, shielding her face as much as she could as she pressed on, letting them scrape her blazer instead. She could hear Alice and Hisako panting beside her as they too fought to run as fast as they could, while Kurokiba-kun brought up the rear.

Finally in the distance, there was a bright light shining up ahead at a clearing. That shouldn't be there. They look like search lights. Erina panicked. _Were they_ _Father's men?!_ The large men waiting in the shadows to pounce on them terrified her, but not as terrifying as what Father would do to her once she was dragged back to the manor. But Alice, Hisako and Kurokiba-kun didn't slow down and were still running straight for it. The bright light bright splitted into who the closer they got and were joined by a low rumbling sound like a car engine on standstill. Was this in the direction of Polar Star Dormitory? Erina was proven wrong when somebody stepped in front of the bright lights, casting a long shadow.

A long and tall shadow.

"Kuchiyose-san?!"

It was Alice's ex-boyfriend!

He leaned against the hood with his ankles and arms crossed over each other. Erina squinted and she caught the dim white colouring of the car and it also had black markings. His overall laxed posture against the headlights made it look as if he didn't care to be here. When Erina finally slowed down and stop, she could finally see him properly amongst the headlights. Unlike the school uniform they were all wearing, he donned a white v-neck t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. She had never seen him in casual wear aside from the photos Alice kept under her bed, but she had to admit he was more good-looking with casual wear in real life compared to the Karakura school uniform. His lilac hair was pulled into a short half-ponytail, his fringe swept back. His eyes quickly sought Alice before going back to regarding her. Through the light and shadows, he nodded at her but didn't say a word.

"It's about twelve kilograms..." said Kurokiba-kun, holding out the luggage case.

Kuchiyose-san nodded. He took her luggage with one arm and placed it into the already-opened boot of the car.

"Thanks for coming, Byakko!"

Another surprise of the night. Alice launched herself at Kuchiyose-san as soon as he slammed the boot close. He stumbled slightly but caught her by the back of her thighs just in time. She planted a sloppy kiss right onto his lips. _Shoujou manga coming to life!_ Her face flared up ivolently and she didn't whether to be disgusted, embarrassed or both! She thought Alice was adamant to stay broken up! When did this happen?!'

"I know what you're thinking Erina, close your jaw before a cicada zooms in. Byakko and I… want to make this work again" Alice huffed at her, sitting in the crook of Kuchiyose-san's elbows while she had a firm hold of his shoulders. He held her up like she didn't weigh all that much. He finally set her on the ground without any changes to his emotional state, but still kept one hand on the small of Alice's back.

 _"And it has nothing to do with you and Ryou-kun going behind my back!"_

"I w-wasn't going to say-"

"Erina-sama, please get in the car" Hisako cut her off.

She urgently opened the car door and ushered Erina inside to sit in the middle before her. Kurokiba-kun came in from the other side. The car was so small, she was squished! Once the last door shut, the car came to life and it zoomed off through the forest on a beaten dirt road. Erina hastily clipped on her seat-belt, fumbling a few times, but she managed. Did Kuchiyose-san know where he was going at all?! But she remembered that Alice told her he used to sneak onto the grounds often to meet up secretly. The bumps and dips made the car vibrate, tickling her ears.

The trees became more sparse the further they drove through Tootsuki's forest and before she knew it, the lights of the Polar Star Dormitory glittered in the distance from her left side. They must be driving along the edge of Tootsuki's property now, where the infamous 'Independent Nation' resided. The large and majestic dormitory building made her breathless. She'd rarely looked in its direction but under the blanket of twinkling stars and moonlight of the dead of night, it held an ethereal beauty as it stood amongst the crops. It was a manor in it's own right, covered by vines but had been refurbished to be a dormitory. As they went past, her thoughts immediately latched onto Yukihira-kun and his bands of misfits. They probably had know idea she was running away.

Finally, they emerged from the trees and up ahead was an open wire fence gate with a sign that said NO ENTRY right on the front. This must be the back way of Tootsuki's forest property. It never should be open! The chain and open padlock dangled loosely, ready to slip and fall onto the dirt road.

"How did you manage to get the keys for this gate?!" Yelled Erina, trying to compete with the car engine noises and the crunching rocks and dirt beneath the wheels.

"We didn't!"

 _"Huh?!"_

Kuchiyose-san briefly glanced at her through the rear view mirror.

"Okay, Hishoko, let's hear your plan! Where are we going?" yelled Alice from the front seat.

"Give me your phone, Alice-sama. I'll type in the address into your GPS for you. The address is a little bit complicated" demanded Hisako.

Alice huffed and surrendered her smartphone to Hisako. Hisako rapidly typed into the maps app, the clicking firing at the speed of a machine gun rattling. Erina trusted with all her heart that Hisako had the perfect safe haven in mind. Before she could catch a glimpse of where on Earth they were heading, she handed it back to Alice over the seat.

"Let me make a call to see if everything is set" her rosette-haired friend pulled out her own phone and started dialling.

"Where is this… urghh… I gotta zoom in… WHOAH! Careful Byakko! What the hell Hishoko!? It's like _three_ _hours_ away!" screeched Alice before her lips pinched together in intense concentration. "…Uh Byakko, we have to take the Great Western HighwAAYYY!"

The car violently swerved to miss a large fallen tree branch.

" _I'm almost running on half tank…"_ grumbled Kuchiyose-san out of nowhere, who had one hand securely on the wheel and the other resting on the gear stick, ready to push it to the next gear.

"I'm sorry! But the further we go, the safer we are! _KYAAA!_ Oh _Kami-sama,_ th-that was close! Umm!... Th-There are petrol stations on the way and the A-Arato family will reimburse you for the petrol!" yelled Hisako over the constant revving.

"…" was her only reply.

He made a sharp turn. It was literally downhill from there. Erina's stomach flew into her mouth, pushed by the g-force as Alice's (boy)friend barrelled down the mountain slope. She yelped loudly and then clamped her hands over her mouth in reflex. Her governess taught her that screaming was unlady-like behaviour, but she had a feeling that none of that would matter anymore while Kuchiyose-san was behind the wheel. Everything outside was blackness, the only illumination was the headlights lighting bouncing on mountain road in front of him, continuing to descend, descend and descend with no end, only tight corners. He pulled the gear stick and threw the car into clutch after clutch as they took hairpin turns down the mountain side. Large pine trees whooshed past them, surrounding on all sides. _He was going way too fast!_ Alice looked like she was enjoying this too much and the adrenaline coursing through her veins at this _absolutely reckless driving_ did terrible things to her!

 _"KYYAAaaaaahhh!"_ Erina screamed again.

Out of nowhere, Kuchiyose-san had pulled on the hand-brake and stepped his foot down, and the small car skidded sideways down another sharp turn, forcing Erina to smash against Kurokiba-kun.

 _"KYYAAaaaaahhh!"_ Erina screamed again.

She pulled herself upright and clasped her shaking hands over her chest. She dry heaved over and over, until she got her mind back in working order. _She was NEVER ever going near this guy or his car AGAIN!_ "Please drive more carefully! You shouldn't be so reckless with passengers!" Erina finally blew her top off and yelled at the top of her lungs to compete with the roaring of the engine, but Kuchiyose-san continued to ignore her as he pushed the car into the next gear and sped up to the point Erina was pushed back into her seat.

"Relax Erina, you'll be fine~! Besides, Byakko hasn't even gotten to the cooler moves yet!" laughed Alice, still fiddling with the map on her smartphone.

 _"WHAT!?"_

Hisako suddenly shooshed everyone impatiently, not without sending an apologetic glance at Erina, signalling that she was still trying to listen out for her call to connect.

"Ah! Hello? I'm sorry to w-wake you up, but this is an emergency! I've left a few voice m-messages but I really couldn't afford to w-wait for you to get back to me!" said Hisako frantically into the receiver before another swing of the back wheels threw her speech off.

"Alright, I got it…" said Alice. Why wasn't Alice car-sick yet, _because SHE was!_ Erina had been trying to concentrate on watching Alice fumbling with the zoom function on the GPS map on her phone to distract her from the thought of vomiting in Kuchiyose-san's car.

"I r-really need a favour..." continued Hisako.

"What's this…?" muttered Alice squinting closer to the bright screen "… _Ryuusenka Apo-AHHHHHHHHHH!"_

The sound of grinding gears and the revving engine filled the air as Byakko once again yanked the hand break and they skidded sideways around a turn towards the foot of the mountain. He practically threw the car around, just shy of scraping along the railing, but he wouldn't let it get that far before he righted the wheels again _as he should be!_ While he drove like a speed demon, she hung onto the flimsy thing called a seat-belt for dear life. What was scarier? Driving around like this or her Father!

The road evened out into bitumen and her stomach finally collapsed back next to her liver. Her reprieve was a moment too soon as the car lurched sideways and she cringed at the screeching tires. She screamed again as Kuchiyose-san made a hasty donut to take off in the opposite direction towards the Great Western Highway as instructed by Alice. At that moment, Erina slammed onto her other side as Kurokiba-kun did the same and narrowly missed face-planting onto her breasts.

 _"OWW!"_

 _"OWW!"_

Her head collided into Hisako's head painfully with a sharp crack and both goals groaned, holding their bruised noggins. The hearing piece of Hisako's phone was pressed tightly to Erina between their squished heads and she over-heard the words on the other end that made her hair stand up on end.

" _HISAKO! WHO ON EARTH IS CALLING YOU_ _ **SWEETHEART?!"**_

* * *

 **I'm gonna let that sink in... XD...** **Did you think Senzaemon did the right thing? Or are Azami's feelings justified? It's up to you readers.**

 **That's right! Erina isn't going to Polar Star like in the manga, but rather she's running away to Ryuusenka Apo-** _ **AHHHHHHHHHH!**_ **A** **ssuming they survive the 3 hour car ride in Kuchiyose-kun's** _ **Trueno AE86.**_

 **If you guys aren't sure what Ryuusenka Apo-** _ **AHHHHHHHHHH!**_ **is** **or who's calling Hisako 'Sweetheart' on the phone, don't fret! Check out the FIRST 2 CHAPTERS ONLY of my other Food Wars! fanfic story _Medica Materia _ :) The 3rd chapter is for later on and will contain spoilers. So please await my instructions on when to read the 3rd chapter (Btw, this author's note is written way after I posted this chapter)**

 **I hope you guys like this tasty treat at the end. I will see you next in Chapter 2 of Medica Materia!**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	36. Sacrifices

**I'm BAAACCKK. I hope you've all been really well :)**

 **Thank you for reading** ** _Medica Materia_** **,** **if you have :) I'm glad a lot of you were really excited to see Alice, Erina, Ryou (and Kuchiyose) make an appearance in Daisuke's, Hisako's and Riza's story. If you haven't already read it, I urge you to read the first 2 chapters ONLY as it will contain relevant information for the Azami subplot ;) 3rd chapter is for later. Otherwise, you could still enjoy the stand-alone story-line too.**

 **So now we are in the thick of Azami's rule. How will our favourite couple deal with this?**

* * *

 _Chapter 36 - Sacrifices_

* * *

"No Ayame, I've made up my mind"

Ayame watched on as Takumi-kun paced up and down the kitchen, his house slippers sliding against the tiles rhythmically like the ticking of a time-bomb. It echoed across the apartment and grated on Ayame's ears. She forced herself to breathe in and out steadily and she chewed her thumb nail as her eyes tracked him carefully, resisting the urge to roll up a cooking magazine and throw it her boyfriend's head to make him stop. The rational side tutted her of the reminder that he had every right to be pissed off. Everything in Tootsuki was such a mess now and it's thrown everyone into a whirl-wind tizzy. So much uncertainty was in the air as Tootsuki's future was looking so bleak and nobody knew if they were going to be sent packing. She wished there was something _more_ she could do to help Takumi-kun, anything at all! She was sure there was, but there was the glaringly obvious feeling that he didn't want her to 'stain her hands' with the notoriety his school was contracting like a bad case of herpes.

' _Like he's told me a million times tonight… Except the herpes bit'_

Was it chivalry talking? Because Takumi-kun was such a terrible liar and it was getting old and Ayame and proven time and time again that she could help at least share some of the burden and be a support for him. Afterall… he had insisted she did the same when she went through her meltdown. Anyhow, at this point Takumi-kun had stuck himself into a senseless rut.

' _Typical boys'_

He had his arms crossed over his chest and his back hunched as he continued to carve a trench into the kitchen floor. His brows were fixed into a perma-frown and his usually beautiful blue eyes darkened to molten colbalt as he seethed and muttered something Italian under his breath. Ayame sighed. It has been a good twenty minutes and nothing had changed since she opened her mouth and pleaded with him to change his mind. She brushed her fringe from her face and exhaled noisily just to see if it would catch his attention. Nope.

"Has he worn out his slippers yet?" Isami-kun appeared beside her.

The blast of a cool breeze brushing against her bare shoulders from the sliding balcony door was a nice welcome from this hot and humid attitude rolling off Takumi-kun. The younger Italian brother had just come back from his regular phone-date with Bianca-san out on the balcony. Ayame wondered if he too had been ranting and raving to her about this crisis.

"Just about…" she released another aggravated sigh. "Takumi-kun please sit down! Getting yourself worked up isn't going to help the situation at all. We should talk about this together!"

Ayame pushed off her seat with a satisfying screech against the tiles and it broke Takumi-kun from his spellbound brooding. Finally! He jolted on the spot and whipped his head in her direction. His jaw went slack and his eyes widened until his brows shot up into his hairline before settling back down into a grumpy face. Drat. His grumpy faces with pursed lips were cute too… But he still didn't sit his butt down. He instead stormed in the opposite direction and rummaged noisily through the fridge. Great he could stew AND organise the groceries too. Ayame scratched her head in dismay, not caring that her French braid was pulling out and her hair was sticking in messy ends.

" _Fratello_ , I wouldn't keep Ayame-chan waiting if I were you" Isami-kun helpfully included.

He ignored his brother too.

Takumi-kun's career as a chef was in danger, which was fact number one. Anything that put his schooling to achieve said career at risk, also put his visa at risk, which was fact number two. As long as he didn't get expelled from Tootsuki, his student-visa was still valid and he could stay in Japan until he received his graduate-visa which was fact number three. This brought on fact number four…

' _Tootsuki is the only culinary academy that he belongs to and really thrives in…There's no other school out there he'll ever be happy with. It's the only other place apart from his Family Trattoria that he's actually laid down some roots… made friends… made rivals… met his match… Yukihira Souma'_

In other words, if Takumi-kun couldn't attend Tootsuki, then he had no choice but to return to Italy. That was the dilemma now. He steam-rolled ahead and decided on the spot that he would do everything to make sure he didn't jeopardise their possible future together. Ayame wished she actually had a say in that matter...

It was the reason she came all the way here: to talk this through with Takumi-kun. But like a stubborn mule who thought it was his sole responsibility to take care of everything, he would have none of that. Ayame had no time to think it was endearing that he didn't want her to stress and worry about him, but damn it! This is making her worry even more!

He'd already said it once that he was willing to give up his future of inheriting and running the family Trattoria with Isami-kun, just so that he could be with her. Even if it was said in a jumbled mess at the spur of the moment when he somehow got the random idea that he got her pregnant. To be honest it touched her and was enough for her to jump so she could break the stratosphere because he was willing to go that far for her. But did she want him to _actually_ sacrifice all that for her?

' _I don't know...'_

Ayame's heart dropped with guilt. Guilt was a terrible thing. It made one realise they were a horrible person. The chance of Takumi-kun going back to Italy stabbed at her and it made her chest tighten. It made her eyes sting just thinking about. Not everything were butterflies and rainbows for very long and she was starting to learn that. But this was not the time to be feeling sorry for herself or think about her own selfish needs. She wrung her hands in the long cuffs of her thin sweater. Takumi-kun's _passion_ for cooking and learning, and the principles he learnt as a chef were more important than anything because that was what made Takumi Aldini who he was. It was the core and bed-rock of the Tuscan student chef who'd stolen her heart because of his amazing personality and his zeal in the kitchen.

 _Cooking was his life._

There was no way Ayame could let him give that up for her. _Visa or no visa._

"Don't worry about that Ayame, everything will be fine. You just concentrate on your studies…" he murmured as he came back with a bag of tomatoes and zucchinis, with a dismissive shake of his head.

Oh hell naawww.

"Hey! Don't you dare brush me off like that, mister!" Ayame jumped up and pointed aggressively at him like a lawyer ferociously condemning a shoddy witness. She sucked in her lips, giving him her best angry 'turtle face'. Ayame glowered until Takumi-kun clamped his mouth shut and immediately plopped the vegetables on the kitchen island and parked his butt on the stool. He tucked his hands between his thighs and winced at her unexpectedly shrill voice. Ayame hadn't scolded anyone in a while. The last time she did was when she was beating down _Otou-san's_ back for eating the last of her _sencha_ -flavoured tea biscuits. Takumi-kun stared up at Ayame with big blue eyes, blinking in surprise with a tiny bit of fear. That was _much_ better.

"That's not what—"

"I know, I know. We have to talk about this together. Full stop. You can't just go ahead and make the decision all by yourself when it involves me. We're partners, aren't we?" beseeched Ayame as she calmed down.

She reached out and firmly grasped Takumi-kun's shoulders with both hands, forcing him to glue his eyes to her, she had to be sure he understood. He slowly raised his hands and placed them over hers. He pried them from his shoulders and pressed them both to his lips before holding them in front of him gently until his eyes dropped down to stare at their interlaced fingers.

" _Si_ , we are" he replied.

Ayame's eyes soften at the distraught expression on Takumi-kun's beautiful face. Her heart twinged with guilt again.

For a whole evening yesterday, her boyfriend had voiced his incessant displeasure for the new administration many times, most of them while preparing dinner. To an ordinary person who didn't know Takumi-kun and the people of Tootsuki, they would think he was making too much of a big deal over this and was over-sharing, and throwing a tantrum. He was throwing a tantrum she supposed, but it was highly justified. She was happy that he was better at multi-tasking in the kitchen, for example, splitting his attention between cooking a proper _Tarte Tatin_ which apparently was 'very complex', and venting out how much he was sickened by the fact that Mimasaka Subara was hand-picked to be on the new 'Central' council. But his bubbling anger had translated into harsher cooking techniques. On more than one occasion he had looked like he was going to splash oil on himself because his hands movements got carried away long with his rapid-fire diatribe.

He had told her all about the new **'** Central' where the current seats were kicked out to be replaced by new seats. He had told her about 'The Survivor's Purge' where extra-curricular cooking clubs were forced to compete in _Shokugeki's_ to gamble their chances of surviving or be disbanded. He had told her about the new fascist curriculum from hell too.

Then thank goodness, Isami had joined in to break up the tempest and joyfully regaled the heroic deeds of the _The Rebel Alliance_ …

That was Yukihira-kun, his dormitory mates and Kuchiyose-kun who were fighting against the new regime to preserve the Tootsuki's beliefs that all cooks with skill and creativity had a place in the culinary world, and defend those who were deserving to be in such a great school. Using their superb culinary skills, their boundless creativity and their fighting spirit, they were going to prove that this new cooking doctrine mandated by the new Director was wrong and was destroying the future of Japan's culinary culture. Kuchiyose-kun was most likely included in their Rebel Alliance because of Alice-san, which she found out was whom he had recently gotten back together with. According to Chizuru-chan, he agreed to transport his girlfriend, Arato-san, Kurokiba-san and lastly and most importantly, Nakiri Erina-san to a secluded and isolated 'safe house' of some sort below Tootsuki's radar, far away from the nasty Father. She had no idea where they went or how long they were staying there, which was fair enough that she didn't need to know. She supposed joining forces with Non-Tootsuki people warranted an apt name like _The Rebel Alliance_. It brought a satisfied smile to her face.

"I'm going to stay in Japan to be with you. That's what I want. In order to do that, I can't get risk getting expelled so I'm going to leave Yukihira's Rebel Alliance and—"

"That's the biggest load of particulate soil on a coloidal suspension!" Ayame ripped her hands from his and angrily crossed them over her chest with narrowing of her green eyes.

"…"

"…"

"W-What?"

" _Mud_! It's a big pile of mud!"

"What do you mean?! Are you saying my decision is stupid?!" Takumi-kun jumped up and firmly planted his palms on the bench. It was hard enough to make a heavy thud and for the tomatoes start rolling in the plastic bag. His lips started pulling away, showing his bared white teeth while his face grew red and his eyes twitched at her. Well, he was just going to have to get used to her whacking him with an imaginary roll of newspaper.

"G-Guys! Guys! Let's not fight about this!"

Isami-kun leapt forward from the background. Both Ayame and Takumi-kun had forgotten he was around. Which was just as well because Isami-kun did like to blend into the scenery and observe things from an objective perspective, and then jump in when he felt things were tipping the balance. He was putting on a forced smile and chuckling nervously to try and dissipate some of the tension. He frantically waved his hands in the air, a gesture of washing the windows in goodwill or something as if physical movements in the air would do any good.

"How about we talk this through with a nice cup of tea—"

" _ **WE DON'T WANT TEA!"**_

" _ **WE DON'T WANT TEA!"**_

"WAH! Alright, I'm out!"

Both she and Takumi-kun suddenly snapped at him, their frustrations already peaking and blinding them from their actions. Isami-kun held his hands up in surrender and backed out the kitchen in haste. His poor younger brother was the unfortunate and convenient magnet to draw all that. The two teens heaved and took a moment to catch their breaths before resuming, their heads still in the electrical thunderstorm brewing untill the point of no return. Ayame banished Isami-kun from her mind as she glared at her incredibly stubborn, and obstinate boyfriend.

"I love you, Takumi-kun and I can't stand by and watch you throw away everything you believe in for my sake. Cooking is you! You've spent years building up your skill, went through lots of trials and errors, learnt and used new techniques, practiced creating some wonderful, different and unique recipes and bettering, and improving yourself each and every time. That's where your passion and soul lies. _It's who you are!_ I love you because of it. You shouldn't compromise who you are for me"

Ayame defiantly strode around the kitchen island to stand beside him. Takumi-kun narrowed his eyes and twisted in his seat to face her as she finally stopped close enough to be within an arm's reach. He lifted his head to look at her, his handsome face was all pinched up as his blue eyes scrutinised hers. Ayame gulped and nervously placed her hand on his cheek, feeling the soft skin. He conceded and closed his eyes. He leaned in against her hand, his shoulder slumped wearily.

"I love you too…" said Takumi-kun. He said it so softly and gently. "And I'm not compromising anything. It's only just a year and a half and then I'll graduate. After I that, I don't need to look back on Nakiri Azami and whatever he's done to Tootsuki"

"What about The Rebel Alliance? Your friends? Poor Nakiri-san who'd been tormented by her father? You're willing to do nothing let them get slaughtered by the side that's determined to rip them apart? Is that something you want to look back on?" asked Ayame, making another desperate attempt to change his mind. She knew this was a low blow, but at this point she'd try anything.

"Ayame—"

"Stand-up and fight back! Or you don't believe you'll have what it takes to challenge Central? Is that why you're being ridiculously cautious?"

"W-What?!" Takumi-kun jerked his head away and stood up. His flustered and blushing face told her he'd taken the bait. He pushed out of his stool and towered over her but Ayame held her ground. She was dangerously poking the bear. Takumi-kun may be a bumbling, clumsy, bashful and shy most of the time when she was around, but he could chew somebody and spit them out if provoked in any way. Aside from his cool fury when on the _skukugeki_ platform, his temper and hot headedness was usually funny to watch, especially when bantering with Yukihira-kun or arguing with a laughing Isami-kun. When directed at her, it had the same impact as a feather tickling her face.

"I can take on Central and beat the lot of them. They're nothing but just sheep pretending to be wolves who are too afraid to be eaten. They have no actual skill whatsoever!"

"Then you have nothing to fear, Takumi-kun! Continue to fight with your friends and you guys will surely prevail and return Tootsuki back into the marvelous school it was before"

" _Mamma mia!_ " Takumi spun away from Ayame and thrusted his hands with palms up at the ceiling as if there was some deity hanging upside down on it and listening in. "That's not the point! You don't get it… Nakiri Azami is a _maniaco,_ but he's not stupid. He won't hesitate to expel anybody he sees as a threat, regardless if they make a move or not. I'm not taking that risk! I'm doing this for us!"

" _But that's not what I want!"_

Takumi-kun stopped in his tracks. The air was suddenly ice cold and desolate. The silence loomed over them like a death breathing against the window. He quickly turned back around to face her and it was frozen in absolute shock.

 _Oh no_

 _Oh no, no, no_

Ayame wished she took back those damned words.

"T-Takumi-kun, that's not what I m-meant…"

"You… don't want me to stay?"

The _hurt_ in his tremoring voice was deafening. His eyes swam with incredulity as if she shot him in the back.

"I… It's not that" Ayame sucked in her breath as a shuddering feeling was accumulating in her throat. She felt like she was drowning "I don't want you to s-sacrifice your values for me..."

Takumi-kun was too far gone and wasn't listening to anything more. He wretched his gaze from her as if he couldn't handle looking at her and it was making her choke with an oncoming sob which she fought to keep down before she turned into a crying mess. His blue eyes were fathomless and distant, filled with a pain she couldn't bear to see, while hers were tearing up fast. His jaw was clenched so hard she was afraid he'd break his teeth. _Oh god._ The hurt she had just inflicted onto him was so great that he looked like he was rendered numb as he was rooted in front of her. The rest of his body was tensed and coiled and it was frightening, not because she thought he would lash out, but rather that her words had reduced him into a body full of quaking pain. His barely controlled breathing was quickly becoming raspy and his face was trying very hard to face elsewhere.

"T-Takumi-kun…?" She forced her feet to move, they trembled with nerves, anxious and terrified that the damage was already done. She reached out a shivering hand. An overwhelming fear gripped her when he instead scrunched up his eyes, the golden arch of his brows creased together tightly and his soft blonde hair partially masked his face. Her mind was working into overdrive, the gears spinning out of control. What had she done? _Why couldn't she shut her mouth!_

"Umm—"

"Ayame… I'm really tired tonight" he stepped back from her and wrapped his lean arm around his stomach and with the other he covered his mouth and turned his head to side, his fringe covering his eyes. Ayame breath hitched, fearing the worst as he backed up like her presence burned him. He was physically putting up a fortress around himself, to keep her away and it broke her heart. The impending close of this disastrous conversation sent Ayame spiraling through a blind panic as she staggered over herself to conjure up any words to salvage anything she hadn't smashed between them.

"Takumi-kun, I'm sorry—"

"It's getting late… you should go home…"

He suddenly moved forward and brushed past her without a glance, the cold gesture combined with his concealed pain in his voice tore up her insides. Ayame became enslaved into listening to her pounding heart and the quickly disappearing pad of his slipper-wearing feet crossing through the living room and down the hall. She couldn't move a muscle, she stood there paralysed as her boyfriend literally left her to retreat back into his room. The final clicking of a closing bedroom door had done the deed and Ayame slapped her hand over her mouth and finally bursted out crying into her palm. _She had pushed too hard!_ The hot tears which poured from her stinging eyes seared her skin and her body convulsed with such sobs she couldn't think she'd ever recover from it. Ayame clamoured over the kitchen island and buried her hands in her face as her soft high-pitched wails was muffled by her wet and mucous-covered hands. Such boundless guilt ate her up and she felt like she was the biggest idiot in the world! The pain in his voice and forced detachment in his eyes scared her deeply. She wanted to throw up.

"A-Ayame-chan! I just saw _Frate_ — What's wrong?" she barely registered Isami-kun's voice over her relentless hiccuping.

"Oh g-god… I-I did s-something terrible…!" She blubbered. She felt Isami-kun wrap his long arms around her and pulled her to his chest. Ayame didn't have the strength to resist him and collapsed into his kind and gentle warmth as he stroked her hair. "I d-didn't mean it that way..."

"It's alright, Ayame-chan. It's not as bad as you think" he tried to soothe her.

"N-No! T-Takumi-kun must hate m-me now. I-I" Ayame sniffed. "I can't…!"

"It's just a big misunderstanding. Here, I'll talk to him" Isami-kun leaned across the kitchen island and pulled over a box of tissues. Ayame couldn't stop herself and grabbed a handful and stuffed it all over her face. _Why couldn't she explain things better? Why wasn't she good at talking to people? Why couldn't she tell when to stop?_ She knew that Takumi-kun was in a vulnerable state but she still didn't pause to think and understand what he was going through and how he was feeling about this whole thing. She only considered how _she_ felt about this. Her selfishness astounded her sometimes and because of that Takumi-kun probably thought she didn't want to have a long term relationship with him. He was trying to do this for her and she threw it all back into his face! He must have felt utterly betrayed and it was all her doing.

"I'll make you a cup of tea, okay? Don't go anywhere. Just relax and calm yourself. I'll go talk to _Fratello_ "

Ayame shook her head and clumsily snatched at Isami-kun's sweater sleeve before he took off for the kettle, not wanting him to waste his generosity on her. Her skin stang from stretching under the tears caking her face as she grimaced at Isami-kun. She bowed her head, feeling undeserving of her boyfriend's brother's kindness. She couldn't ask him to do this! Isami-kun had nothing to do with it and it would be cruel to place the burden on him to repair this. She tried to force the words out, but nothing came but more erratic hiccups and a measly gurgle.

"Shhhhh… Trust me, _Fratello_ is stubborn and usually only listens to the reasons of his own mind but that never lasts for long. He'll come around, you'll see! I understand that you want the best for my brother. But what _you_ need to understand that you are the most important thing in the _world_ to _Fratello_. Following the whims of a mad-man for just the final one and half years of high school is a small price to pay for him"

"B-But his friends—"

"Will understand. It's nothing personal and they won't hold it against him"

The brunette Italian patted her hand still death-gripping his sweater sleeve. He slowly unraveled her mucous-covered fingers from him and she heard the distant sound of water filling the kettle. The thundering pipes rattled in the walls and it did little to distract Ayame from imagining herself resolutely walking the plank. Soon a large mug of tea was placed down in front of her. The steam caressed her face until the dried up tears melted and her face stopped feeling caked in dirt. She tentatively slid her hands across the bench and fingered the hot surface of the mug.

"I'm not saying that you're in the wrong or in the right. It's not that clear cut. But one thing for sure is that both of you guys weren't really listening to each other, were you?"

Ayame nodded sadly.

"I'll be right back" said Isami-kun, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head.

* * *

' _Why doesn't she believe that I know what I'm doing!'_

Takumi pounded his pillow until the cotton inside turned to mush. He slid off the bed and fell on his behind and slammed his body back onto the side of the bed. He growled loudly and hammered his fist onto the bedside table. His family picture-frame rattled noisily and he probably made the whole thing move a few centimetres which was more than he could say about Ayame's stubbornness. He raked his fingers through his sweaty hair, feeling the scraping of his nails against his scalp. He groaned under the pricks of pain dotting along his skull. He pulled his knees up so he could rest his elbows against it and let his head fall back onto the side of the mattress. His throat stretched out until it was hard to breathe.

Ayame thought he was selling himself out?! That was preposterous! Nothing was going to ever change his cooking style or the years of teaching his _familia_ had instilled in him. There was no way Nakiri Azami's brain-washing could influence him to follow that _demente e folle_ cooking philosophy, rubbish. Nor could his burning desire to exercise and craft his culinary soul into his own unique style, be tainted by that despicable trash. Ayame knew he was stronger than that, she also believed he was an extraordinary chef, she said that herself. He loved her so much and she did too. So why was she resisting his decision with so much conviction?! That only left one thing… maybe…

His heart burned at the thought…

 _Maybe she didn't love him as much as he did for her…_

His door creaked.

"Go away, Isami"

He could sense it was him a mile a way. Twins were great like that. The tall sillouette of his younger brother didn't budge. Instead it stepped in further and the door slowly clicked shut again, with just the two Aldini brothers casted by the warm glow of his lamp-light. Takumi scoffed and whipped his head to the other side, refusing to look at him. Whatever his younger brother had to say he'll listen for about five minutes before Takumi would throw him out himself.

"You're misinterpreting what Ayame-chan said" his brother said in a monotone voice.

Takumi heard the springs creak as he felt Isami sit on his bed, his legs planted firmly beside his seated position on the carpet. Takumi grumbled and glowered at the bedside table. His heavy breathing consumed the small room.

"She's worried about you. She doesn't want you to change yourself because of her" Isami continued.

" _I'm not—"_ Takumi sucked in a breath to stop the shouting creeping up his throat. "…Going to _change_ myself. She doesn't need to worry"

"But she doesn't know that. Ayame-chan thinks it's her fault that you've come to this decision. It's unlike you"

"Really? You think I'm not being myself?! This is my own decision to make and I was in my right mind. I haven't compromised _anything_ " Takumi turned around and snapped. He instantly regretted it at the disappointed look in Isami's eyes. "Besides, I'm doing it for us and she's just told me didn't want ' _us'!"_

"That's not what I heard, _Fratello_ and we both know I've got the better ears" Isami had the gall to sigh at him.

Incensed fury made the hairs on his body stand on end and his blood boiled up again as hurt and sadness pierced his heart over and over again. All he could hear was her screaming at him that she didn't want it. It took him a few seconds to realise the words that sprang from her lips and it felt like he was struck by lightning. His heart had stopped and his breath caught in his throat like a noose had yanked him up into the air.

"Ayame-chan doesn't want you to go ahead and make a decision without talking to her about it first. _That's_ what she didn't want"

Takumi gnashed his teeth, realising that her words indeed could have been interpreted in more than one way. But that didn't stop the feeling of being unappreciated goading at him to continue to stew until she was the one to change her mind and agree with him that this was the best course of action. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the gentle side of him who was crippled at the thought of his upset girlfriend coaxed him to re-think Ayame's words under the new light of Isami's attempt to mediate the problem.

"One and a half more years with that _bastardo_ Nakiri is nothing…" grumbled Takumi.

"It's more than that, _Fratello_. She doesn't want you to lose our friends and distance yourself from them. She doesn't want you to watch them from the side-line, with your hands imprisoned in your own cuffs while they fight. Aside from our family back in _Firenze,_ they are all we have and _familia_ always stick together. Knowing you, watching them struggle against Central will cut you deeply too. Expelled or not expelled, Ayame-chan will still be there for you. In fact, I know she would be even more proud to be your girlfriend for fighting what you believe in" said Isami.

"I have a future to think about"

" _And the future is long and full of possibilities!_ You and Ayame-chan have a whole life-time ahead. Don't let this moment carve it in stone right here, right now. If you go through with this, guilt will eat away at Ayame-chan and you will grow to resent her. Your relationship will fester on the inside until one of you will say something you'll seriously regret. Is that what you want?"

Isami slid off the bed and sat right beside Takumi. His brother's warmth on his left side smelt of Ayame's raspberry meringue scented lipbalm. There was also the hint of her salty tears. His stomach dropped in regret. If this was what having a steel bat pulverising him felt like, then he'd better do something to about it. The image of his girlfriend's big green eyes filled with unshed tears resurfaced itself. Takumi shook his head, realising he could've done this better. That crying face was because of him and overwhelming shame beated down on his head. Ayame was probably curled up into a ball in the kitchen and it was all his fault.

"Make peace with Ayame-chan" whispered Isami.

Takumi nodded. He felt so stupid, so careless and he was such a monster. He couldn't believe he let it get this far, that he'd made his girlfriend feel so guilty because of his selfish need to be the one to try and fix everything and solve everything so that she didn't have to lift a finger. He thought he was doing the right thing, no matter how much it went against what he believed in, to ensure that they would continue to be together. But perhaps trying to do everything himself was wrong… it was definitely _wrong_ to upset his girlfriend like this.

"Come on…" Isami helped him up.

Takumi exhaled noisily and stumbled to his feet. His knees were jelly. He straightened his shirt and ran a quick hand through his hair so that he didn't look like a terrible mess. The first few steps towards the door was heavy like wearing clay boots. He squashed down the shame and fear snaking its way up his legs to chain him to the floor. He didn't know what to expect. Was she still upset? Was it replaced with anger or revulsion? He gulped. There was only one way to find out. Takumi twisted the door knob and emerged into the hallway. He softly padded his way to the kitchen and had to squint from the flooding kitchen lights before his eyes could readjust. Everything in front of him was stark white before bleeding back into their appropriate shapes and colour. His eyes sought out the quivering figure of his girlfriend, but she was nowhere near to be found. He blinked in confusion and dread fell on him that maybe she already left the apartment. A quiet sniffling alerted him to the living room. Takumi pricked his ears up and crept over, pulling his cardigan over himself as he slowly peered over the back of the couch.

 _'I'm such an idiot'_

Ayame was curled up into a ball amongst the cushions like a tiny squirrel protecting its stash of acorns. Takumi's eyes soften and bit his lips hard. Ayame's French braid was pulled apart and her sleek midnight black hair was splayed over her face and shoulders. Her face still had tear marks and her lips were slightly opened, her breath coming out in tiny whistles. She looked like she had just dozed off, already tuckered out from crying. Takumi reached out and brushed her hair away from her face. Her soft hair and soft skin felt like silken cream under her calloused finger tips. Ayame shifted her head, turning towards hands. Takumi watched transfixed as she began to stir from her restless slumber. Her swollen green eyes blinked blearily up. She gasped and tried to sit herself up straight but Takumi slid in beside her before she could back away from him. He gently tugged her towards and Ayame immediately clamoured over the cushions, settling herself into his arms as they enveloped her. Takumi's chest burst in relief. He breathed out a shuddering sigh and swallowed the lump forming in his throat, thankful that Ayame didn't try to get away from him. He tucked her head beneath his chin and allowed the warm puffs of her breath against his neck soothe him. Her smaller hands clutched his cardigan, anchoring herself to him.

"I'm so sorry _amore_ " he spoke into the tops of her hair.

"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I should've respected your decision" said Ayame into his neck. Her husky voice still carried traces of sadness and Takumi winced at the guilt she didn't deserve to feel.

"Don't apologise, I should've talked to you about this. I didn't mean to upset you. Will you forgive me?" Takumi pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. He stared into her beautiful green eyes which were still dull and sad. He stroked his thumb gently across her cheek, afraid that it would crack under his ministrations. Her long lashes fluttered together as she bit her lower lip.

He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he resisted.

His girlfriend nodded her head and looked away bashfully. Takumi inched a smile, as wide as it was appropriate.

"I'm sorry I-I yelled at y-you too…" she said.

Takumi gave in and kissed her nose. "You can yell at me anytime, _mi amore"_ The blonde Italian pulled her further until she was sitting in his lap. He leaned back and allowed her full body weight to rest on his chest. He continued to inhale her scent. Ayame shifted again and lifted her head up. She pressed her lips to his and Takumi groaned. He kissed her back gently, being careful not to push too much. He slid his hands up to the base of her neck, threading his fingers into the hair at her nape and cradled her head close to his. Ayame's dainty fingers trembled as she hesitantly tugged his cardigan to pull him closer. She sighed as Takumi tested the water and probed his tongue along the seams of her lips, asking permission to deepen the kiss. She slowly parted them and he filled her mouth, swiping his tongue across her teeth. The two reluctantly parted and Ayame pressed her forehead against his. The way her chest raised and fell made him feel needy but he put a collar on it because he didn't want this to be about him.

"I'll— umm… I'll stand up against Azami and his reign. I won't let him break Tootsuki's spirit. Not in my last days with my friends at least. I'll continue to be the best chef I can be" Takumi whispered.

"And I'll back you up all the way. Nothing will change that…" she whispered back.

Her tiny smile lit up his world.

* * *

"Fuck me, this place is so damn crowded"

Chizuru skirted along the edge of the wall sneering at the mass of shoppers pressing their faces against the glass cabinets of the perfume section in the department store. The crisp and glittering white surfaces blinded her. It was like being in a futuristic movie. Everything was spotless and expensive. One fingerprint on the pristine white would ban from the store for life. The elegant and oh-so-breakable bottles of the tiny and massive perfume bottles sat pretty on their stands. Even for test bottles, they looked damn good. Sounds of spritzing peppered the place. Even though she couldn't smell it, she could still feel the ethanol base of the perfume going up her nose. It tickled and made her want to sneeze. So she held her breath every now again as she walked on by, trying to dodge the dispersing liquid from landing on her. How ironic. She was holding her breath even though she couldn't smell a fucking thing.

She wasn't here for the perfume, duh. She just had to bypass this section to get to the other end of the department store that sold candles.

Chizuru collected candles.

Big ones, small ones, colourful ones, oddly shaped ones.

Did she light them up? Yeah, that's what they're made to do. Did she give them as gifts? Only to the people she didn't really care about like distant relatives she didn't hear about until the last minute. What could she say? Stocking up on candles saved her time and money to buy gifts too.

Contradictory to everything else in her life she wanted _something_ warm to return home to when her parents were out working late. Kuchiyose-kun had it and Ayame-chan had it. She wanted it too. Chizuru pondered about the one that was supposed to be on sale according to the department store catalogue. It would fit nicely into her large collection. She had been feeling the need to light up candles more often these days. Staring into the flickering orange flames brought a sense of calm to her. The bright and glowing light always captivated her. She could stare at it for hours and watch it dance. It was hypnotising and made her forget about the majority of the idiocy she dealt with day after day. The stupid teachers, the stupid homework. Most days she was agitated, fed up with the regular bitchy snobs in her class. She was thankful for Ayame-chan and Kuchiyose-kun for keeping her sane in school, they were the best friends she could ask for. But at home she was just by herself so what was she going to do?

Ayame-chan had a boyfriend and Kuchiyose-kun got back together with his Ex.

She couldn't very well call to hang out with them at random times in the night like she did before.

Then there was Terunori Kuga. Wasn't he just a shining star, just begging to blow up into a catastrophic supernova from all the ego he ate for breakfast. Well… some wishes were too big to grant because there was no God she could pray too that was powerful enough to cast a magic spell for him to shut his disgustingly huge trap. He was _constantly_ talking about himself. It was non-stop! Boasting about winning this, flapping on about creating new recipes and how much he was the best at cooking hands-down. Also he went on-and-on about food and how great his Sichuan cuisine tasted. Pfffftt… Like she understood half of it anyway. Then to add more to the mix, he bragged about his credentials and experiences and how much of a good catch he was. Did she give a fuck? No. If he _wasn't_ yammering about himself, he was freaking advertising his Chinese Research Society to her face and how great a president of his RS he was. Right now he was the prominent reason why she felt the need to light up more of her candle collection and stare it like a zombie until the cows came home. Also she seriously considered doing yoga to straighten the kinks in her chakras caused by the one-man show called Terunori Kuga. That punk-ass midget was still feeding her and still dragging her around Karakura town on random food tours. She no longer had the energy to fight him and his energizer-bunny fuck-face. So she went along with his whims as long as he didn't feel too adventurous in the late afternoons.

At least with him, it was never boring…

Chizuru deftly weaved through the dawdling customers, trying not to think about the delinquent wannabe of Tootsuki. She was small enough to not require pushing and shoving, but every now and then she might spit out an _'Excuse me'_ and lightly elbow people long. Finally, she made it to the candle section. It was more breathable and wasn't clogged up with commuters and wasn't filled with ethanol hanging in the air. There were a million candles. Department stores sure didn't disappoint. The short Karakura high school student gave the section a good once over, taking in all the numerous colourful candles of all shape and sizes. She remembered the brand she was after was called _Shikon_ candles. Chizuru smirked in triumph when she found the small cherry red candle sitting on the sales table.

' _Found you, little buddy'_

She lifted the votive from amongst its discounted frat-party and turned it around in her hand. Oh yes, she really liked this deep red colour. It was almost similar to the first candle she ever got. It wasn't bright, nor was it dull in shade. It was a velvety colour. The smooth matte surface of the votive felt nice and cool against her palm and it slid nicely as she rotated it around. The shape was a bit bigger than she liked but that was alright. She thought about her first candle.

It began when Ayame-chan bought one for her birthday two years ago. It was a soy candle in a sea-blue tea-cup. It was literally a fucking tea-cup. It had a saucer and everything! The candle maker decided it was a fantastic idea to make candles in porcelain tea cups to appeal to the growing hipster trend. Ayame-chan had thought it was just a silly and fun gift that they could laugh about and oh man was she right. When Chizuru lit it up for the first time and let it sit at her bedside table it made her smile. She wasn't a naturally smiley person. For some reason only Ayame-chan and Kuchiyose-kun could make her do that without feeling weird. The tea-cup didn't match to anything else in her room but it still felt like it belonged there. She admitted that it was kind of… nice.

Ayame-chan called it cute. Urgh… she cringed because she hated that word. She didn't suit it. Ayame-chan suited it, she didn't. If Chizuru had to kick up her feet and sift through the entire Japanese dictionary to find a word to accurately describe herself, she'd find a handful, but half of it wouldn't be apt enough. Ayame-chan told her the candle was scented also and that when the wax melted, it released the oils and gave the room a pleasant smell.

Not that she could tell, but she still appreciated the sentiment.

Chizuru smiled at the memory.

The hair on her back stood up on end.

The short girl looked behind her to identify what was that strange feeling. She clutched the candle to her chest and craned her neck around. Her brown eyes landed on the figure of a guy standing in the next aisle. His back was to her and he was wearing a grey grand-dad shirt and a pair of black jeans. His silver hair was let loose and swayed against his shoulder blades as he bent over and plucked up a candle from the lower shelf with his left hand while his other hand was pre-occupied with another candle.

That dark-skin...Huh… he looked familiar…

"Hayama-san?"

Chizuru finally put name to that figure and eeped from saying his name aloud. Whoops, that came out of nowhere. The boy not only had impeccable smelling, but also hearing. His back went ram-rod straight and he looked around defensively. When his eyes met hers, there was an astonished surprise before it melted back into derision. He stared down at her from his nose probably wondering why she was here. Well, she was thinking it too…

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His voice was deep as usual with a hint of suspicion behind it.

Chizuru lifted her cherry red candle and showed him. "I'm looking for a creative way to make Molotov Cocktails that will appeal to girl scouts"

He arched a silver brow.

"I'm joking. Lighten-up" she rolled her eyes.

He sighed and approached her. Chizuru watched as his tall figure came closer until she had to raise her head to look at his chiselled face. His jade green eyes were unnerving but she stood her ground and didn't shy away. He dipped his head and sniffed at her face.

"What the fuck, dude?!" Chizuru screeched at him and skidded backwards. She slapped her free hand over her neck, shielding it away from the crazy lunatic with the radioactive-super-powered snout!

"When I said you'd smell better if you wore cinnamon the last time we met, I didn't mean to literally rub ground cinnamon powder on yourself" he said blandly, like he was stating an obvious fact to a five-year-old child.

Chizuru's cheeks flushed in no time and her eye twitched sporadically. Was it that obvious?! She looked online to find cinnamon smelling ones, but they weren't available with the exception of pot-pourri. She decided to find some alternative methods and made sure she used a tiny pinch so that it wasn't too much. One time when out grocery shopping, her mum said that cinnamon could be too strong for most people. And how the fuck did her remember telling her that?! As if he cared!

"W-Well, nobody makes cinnamon flavoured perfumes, you know!" Chizuru yelled back in embarrassment.

He chuckled. "The term is 'scented'. Not 'flavoured'"

"SHUT UP!"

He chuckled again and it was so infuriating, eyes glittered in the bright shop light as he smirked like a devil, holding those two candles in his nimble fingers. She blushed profusely and fought the urge to park her foot up his arse and give him something to always her remember her by.

"Vanilla and chai" he pointed to her hand.

"Hmm? Oh this" Chizuru twirled her cherry-red votive candle in her hand. "Yeah, I like the colour. You reckon it smells okay?" she asked.

"Take it or leave it" he shrugged.

"So anyway, what are you doing here, _loser_ " she resumed their sparring match. He didn't flinch at all from being called 'loser' which mad Chizuru mentally snap her finger and go _drat!_ He was totally crying that time when he was dragging his feet and trudging away from the stadium at Tootsuki.

"Looking for a present for my professor" he said, dismissing her taunt.

"Oh, like a birthday present?"

He continued to stare at her. There was a flicker of sadness in those jade depths but it disappeared before she could tell if it was really there or not.

"Goodbye present"

"Is she going somewhere?" Chizuru stopped cowering and stepped forward. She dropped her hand back to her side and dusted them against her school uniform skirt.

"It's me, not her. I'm not going to be around for her much, that's all"

He turned around and placed one of the candles back onto the shelf. He instead kept an off-cream coloured candle. It was inside a mason jar which was very fashionable amongst netizens these days. The rim of the mason jar was tied off with a red ribbon too. His voice took on an airy feel like he was thinking aloud rather than talking to her. Chizuru tilted her head, thinking if what cryptic subtext could be imbedded in those words. Hayama-san always came across to her as incredibly arrogant, even when he was sulking like a sore loser after that round in the competition she was spectating with her friends. She expected that it was probably his default setting. But right now he was being… dare she say… amiable.

"Well, you got yourself a winner there" the nodded to the candle in his hand. " _'Cotton sheets'_ by _Shikon_ is a popular one according to the best-sellers list. I got one of those myself" Chizuru smirked.

"Hmmmmm. Is that so…" Hayama placed it back on the shelf and made an obvious attempt to look for something else.

"Wow. Rude much?"

"Relax, I was joking" He sniggered and swiped the candle back into his hands again not without flashing her a condescending glance.

Chizuru groaned and face-palmed. It was too late in the day for this shit. Her face still felt hot and whenever she looked at Hayama, it seemed to feel hotter and her school bow tie felt a tad too tight. Hayama walked off towards the cash register leaving her behind. Chizuru grumbled and followed him. She wanted to hurry up and pay and go home too. It totally was a coincident that she was ready to head to the cash-register too! As they stood in line behind an old woman taking eons to take out coins from her purse, Hayama spoke again.

"You know a lot about candles" he commented.

"I know a lot of things"

He grunted in amusement. "So tell me your answer then. Would you do anything for your parents?"

"Depends. If they want me to clip their toenails for them, _forget it_ " replied Chizuru. She rocked on the balls of her feet waiting for the old woman in front of them to unfurl her banknotes.

"More like if they were in danger. Would you sacrifice yourself for them?"

Chizuru landed back on her feet and gave Hayama and odd look. _The fuck?_ What kind of question was that? It was so random it killed the mood. He was just staring straight ahead, his face as blank as a slate. Suddenly his jade-green iris darted to her from the corner of his eyes and she jumped a bit in fright.

"Uh, yeah I would. I mean… they've done everything for me. They've raised me, made sure I was clothed and fed. They made sure I had a roof over my head. They did their best to make sure I was healthy and happy. They kept me warm and told me stories when I was sick so I could sleep well. They taught me how to look after myself. Even though they can be a bit annoying, they always want the best for me. My parents are the reason why I exist. Nobody on Earth can love you more than your parents, right?

"I wouldn't know. I don't have any parents"

Aaaaannnd the mood was sent to heaven and was never going to reincarnate. Boy, that sure escalated fast. Putting aside the fact that Hayama was an orphan, this guy was _weird_ …

"You… have my c-condolences…" Chizuru said awkwardly. She was getting the hibbie jibbies with this topic. He couldn't be randomly asking her these things without a reason could he. She mulled over her thoughts to find the answer. Nope she couldn't find one. There was no going back on this awkwardness, so she just went with it. He grunted again.

"What if… having to be the bad guy is part of your sacrifice and it hurts them in the process, but nonetheless, the result is they will be safe from harm?"

"Does this have anything to do with the shit-storm at Tootsuki?" she asked.

Hayama stiffened imperceptibly. Ohhh… maybe. Tootsuki students were behaving weirdly ever since that dude the Nakiri Family chucked out came back. She took _Paolo_ and his brother for example. They were like cats hissing about his name. She heard about it from Ayame-chan first before her social media page was flooded with the news. The new administration was the source of every Tootsuki student's problem it seemed. Class was unfair? Nakiri Azami's fault. Tuition was too expensive? Nakiri Azami's fault. Late for class because one lived outside the campus, therefore only could get the shit ingredients? Nakiri Azami's fault. Partnered up with a vapid fan-girl for practical classes? Nakiri Azami's fault. Yukihira-kun continuing to dodge challenges for _shokugekis_? Nakiri Azami's fault. Misspelling a word on the recipe assignment and getting deducted marks for that? Nakiri Azami's fault.

She noticed Hayama was taking a _very_ long time to answer her.

"It's a hypothetical"

Chizuru nodded, quietly accepting his answer even though she had an inkling feeling that it had something to do with Tootsuki. It was just speculation on her part so other than that, she didn't have a clue. Since he seemed to be very sincere in these ridiculous, but morally thought provoking questions. She'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Alright… Lets stretch this 'hypothetical' to 'loved ones', not just parents. Then I would still go through with it and lie through my teeth as long as they're safe. Because at the end of the day, their safety comes first and that's all that matters. They may never understand or know the real reasons why, but that's not important. They may end up hating your guts for the rest of their days. But the fact is, some people live as a villian and die as a hero"

Chizuru looked up into Hayama's face. He had a contemplative stare. She looked off to the side, mulling over and choosing her next words carefully.

 _"Being a hero isn't about letting people know you did the right thing. It's about YOU knowing YOU did the right thing"_ She hoped that made some sense.

Finally, the old woman made a successful transaction, counted her change and placed it back into her purse with those knobbly arthritic fingers. When she managed to do a U-turn and hobbled away on her four-wheeled walker, Hayama stepped up and placed the _Cotton sheets_ scented _Shikon_ candle on the counter. The shop keeper blinded them with a huge smile and scanned his item.

Suddenly, the spice master of Tootsuki turned around and plucked her cherry-red one straight out of her hands and plopped it onto the counter too.

"Oi!—"

"I'm including her purchase with mine too" he said.

 _FUCKING HELL!_ That was her candle! If he wanted one, he could've mosey on over to the sales table too! The cashier ignored her protests as she happily scanned the item away with a dumb smile on her stupid face. Hello?! It was obvious that she was totally against this! Hayama pulled out a debit card from his wallet and tapped it onto the _paypass_ scanner, making a complete transaction. Once the machine spat out the receipt he took the plastic bag and walked off for the next person in line to get their turn. Why would he do a fucking thing like that?! What kind of stunt was he trying to pull?! She could pay for her own things now and she didn't need a guy to think so little of her and go ahead and pay for her stuff! Just because she didn't go to a fancy private school, that didn't mean she was broke!

" _Hey, wait you thieving bastard!"_ she shrieked across the floor.

His long strides made it difficult for her to keep up with him and she had to tighten her grip on her book-bag because running with it was bitch and a half. People started flooding between them and she was scared she'd lose sight of him amongst the throng. That her cherry-red candle was supposed to be fucking hers! She showed no mercy as she mowed down the shoppers until she reached the automatic sliding doors. She took no notice of the tall Tootsuki student stopping in the middle of the entrance and she promptly collided into his back. _Fuck!_ His back was like the Great Wall of China and he didn't even budge, that twat. She rubbed her sore nose and suddenly a deep red candle was dangling in front of her face.

"If you'd just be patient and waited, I'd have given it to you without crushing your nose on my back" he smirked. He dropped it into her hands that was just coming down from her nose to prepare giving him an upper-cut and fear pulsed through her as she fumbled to unfurl her fist, not to drop the candle and smash it all over the ground.

"Alright wise guy. _You_ hang on a second while I pay you back" Chizuru growled and yanked at the straps on her book-bag, determined to get out her wallet and pay him back so she could be done with this.

"No"

"No?"

"Don't worry about it. It was nothing" said Hayama.

"Oh, my rights as a woman ain't nothing. I don't want to owe you anything" she bit back harshly while she shoved her new candle into her bag and unzipped her wallet.

"I just bought you a candle. How does this have to do with feminism?" he furrowed his brow. "It's a gift, just accept it"

"Gift for what?" Chizuru pulled out the exact change and tried to grab his hand to dump the cash in, but he dodged her very well.

"For helping me make up my mind"

He sidestepped her and swiftly turned away, the plastic bag with a candle for his professor thrown over his shoulder. He have her one last look without intense, jade green eyes that were full of determination. The tiny quirk in the corner of his lips glinted with an untold story that the short Karakura high school student was sure was going to be a rather sad one. The plastic bag swayed along with his long silver hair. Chizuru was more confused than ever and that was saying something. There was no subtext to be had this time.

' _Make his mind up for what?'_

* * *

 **Ayame and Takumi had their first argument… And Isami?! Isn't he the most amazing brother? I want one of those and not the bitchy sister I'm stuck with. But nonetheless, whose side are you guys on? Ayame's? or Takumi's? Or Isami who believes nobody is right or wrong?**

 **I decided to call The Rebels "The Rebel Alliance" (It wasn't inspired by Star Wars… YES IT TOTALLY WAS). Since Kuchiyose the Non-Tootsuki was involved as the getaway transport for Hisako, Erina, Ryou, I thought it was fitting to call the whole group an 'alliance'.**

 **Hayama bought a candle for Chizuru :3 She's an easily agitated girl, which is why she needs candles to stare at. Mainly because Kuga is annoying her a lot at work hahaha! I still think she should just take a chill-pill. And now our favourite Karakura midget has unknowingly set a precedent for Hayama…**

 **Thanks for waiting for me! I'll see you soon.**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	37. The Price of Greatness is Responsibility

_Chapter 37 - The Price of Greatness is Responsibility_

* * *

" _I may be a criminal, selling out private info and all that jazz. But at least I didn't_ _ **murder my own wife**_ _just so people can see~ me~ in a croooooown~"_

* * *

 _Knock Knock Knock_

Satoshi jolted from his musings. The memory of his encounter with the arrested information broker the other day continued to plague him relentlessly. If walking past that man's temporary holding cell was always going to be on the way to visit Eizan-kun, then he might want to reduce his visiting hours for the sake of saving himself from the taunts of Orihara Izaya. He was sure Eizan-kun would understand.

"Come in" he said.

A man stepped in. "Isshiki-san, Azami-dono has requested a meeting with you in ten minutes"

Satoshi gave a curt nod with a tight smile. He wouldn't acknowledge the messenger with his words. Anyone under Azami-dono didn't deserve it. He didn't even know who that man was, only that he was part of the Third Reich which Azami-dono had unleashed upon the school to enforce his terror. They all looked the same to him. Flat countenance, rigid postures, simple black suits, shades and sticks up their arses. They weren't teachers, professors, chefs, office workers or anything. Just men whom students felt unsafe around.

The former seventh seater knocked back two tablets as soon as the office doors closed. He rarely took headache medicine but this definitely called for it. He didn't even bother waiting to be kicked off the Elite Ten Council. He resigned from his position with his head held high. He really couldn't care less about the money and grants. It wasn't like he really spent it on much. He was a bit irked that he had to give up access privileges and authority. Not because he was so used to being entitled, it was because it made his investigations into Nakiri Nadeshiko's death a lot harder. But that was okay, he had other means to make ends meet.

 _'Good thing I've always been resourceful'_

Satoshi finished packing his various bits of personal stationary into his cardboard box. It was probably as big as a milk crate. He didn't have much to take back with him. Just a pot plant, stapler, photo of his family, pens, pencils and a terracotta pencil cup his _Ojii-san_ gave him. The pencil cup was probably the only thing that meant something to him which he kept at his office desk. Even his family photo didn't evoke many fond memories. He just put it on the right-hand side of his desk like an obligatory ornament, gathering dust over time.

So stereotypical of a salary man being laid off work.

Speaking about being fired…

Most of Tootsuki's staff had been fired and was replaced by Azami-dono's people. Of course they were given a redundancy package as compensation to try to smooth the ripping displeasure, but a fat lot it did. This include the Tootsuki IT department. Satoshi was glad that he managed to corner Morimoto Mouza, the head of the department just before he left. If he remembered correctly, he was packing his things much in the same way Satoshi was now, albeit more angrily. Luckily Morimoto-san's user login and administration privileges hadn't been rescinded straight away and he was able to log into the server to do one last favour for Satoshi as an employee of Tootsuki, in the name of thwarting Nakiri Azami's tyranny.

' _Good thing I got him to delete and replace the surveillance footage of Nakiri-kun's escape in time'_

Indeed, if anyone found out, he would be expelled.

The Southern-most forest on the Tootsuki Academy property had a back-gate that was almost never used. It lead down the mountain-side onto the road which then merged to the Great Western Highway. All exits from and entries to Tootsuki, no matter whether it was used or not had surveillance cameras. Initially Satoshi had his reservations about whether Arato-san's plan was going to work. The Nakiri Cousins and their aides had escaped Tootsuki to a 'safe house' of some sort to hide out there for a number of days while Polar Star dorms would pretend to hide them there. The only final touch was to re-lock the gate after their escape. Thankfully, Fumio-san had copies of the key for the huge padlock. Apparently, she confiscated those copies from Joichirou-senpai, Souma-kun's father, back in the day when he was a trouble maker, coping keys for his own trouble-making antics and such. He remembered that Arato-san was very adamant to keep the location of the 'safe house' and the person helping them in that 'safe house' anonymous. For that, Satoshi agreed it was best that nobody was allowed in on such information, including him.

Souma-kun took a shine to Arato-san's plan immediately and was more than determined to see it through, just as Satoshi expected. However his exuberance and determination for justice wasn't contagious enough as the rest of the Polar Star students remained highly skeptical and wary to lend aide. They were already branded the Rebel Alliance, and didn't need to have 'kidnapping' added to their list of charges. Especially for a conceited, rude, arrogant, rich and stuck up girl who wouldn't deign them her attention if she could help it. So both he and Arato-san had no choice but to reveal the whole truth of Nakiri Erina's horrid past. It did the trick and they welcomed the plan with open arms, but he wished it didn't have to come to that. Fumio-san, Tadokoro-kun, Ibusaki-kun, Marui-kun, Yoshino-kun, Sakaki-kun Aoki-kun and Satou-kun now saw Nakiri Erina in a new but false light. Satoshi only wished their change in heart and perspective wasn't because of knowing her history.

' _If they didn't know about her abuse… would they have still helped her in the end?'_

It troubled him to know that his Dormitory was reluctant to help out of the goodness of their own heart, and needed a 'reason' that painted Nakiri Erina in a pitiful light, in order for them to decide it was worth it to help her. He hoped Nakiri Erina would forgive him for placing a label on her. _The poor girl who was abused by her dad._

It didn't matter now. Polar Star agreed to _pretend_ to be hiding Nakiri Erina to focus all the scrutiny on them while she was safe elsewhere.

' _It isn't just Polar Star Dormitory caught up in this…'_

To think that Nakiri Alice had convinced her 'friend' Kuchiyose-san to risk his safety to pick the lock, trespass, and transport them using his getaway car to _Kami-sama_ knew where. They had no right to taint the hands of innocent bystanders, like Kuchiyose-san, Morimoto-san, and Arato-san's mysterious contact and involve them in this. People who had absolutely _nothing_ to do with their sordid mess and now have selflessly given their services to helping the Rebel Alliance with no regard to their own safety.

' _We owe these people so much'_

Satoshi couldn't even begin to think how much gratitude they would bestow on them if they ever made it out of this nightmare unscathed.

The sun was still bright amongst the lightly clouded sky. The leaves glistened like drops of gold and citrine crystals against the beautiful red, orange and yellow hues as the hours rolled to five-thirty in the late afternoon. Such as the way of summer. Longer days meant more work could be done, and sleep was for the weak. More work was exactly what Satoshi did. Tootsuki was in a crisis and he wasn't going to sit on his hands like his fellow former seaters did.

He reached for the last item in his desk drawer which was a small memory stick.

He held it in his calloused palms and stared at it for a few moments. The documents he copied over with Senzaemon-dono's permission had haunted him for days. He'd been reading report after report of Nadeshiko-sama's hospital stay and the autopsy. From what he gleaned, the attending physician and the hospital multi-disciplinary team couldn't make heads or tails over what was going on with her and neither did the physician conducting the autopsy. A strong and healthy woman such as the Lady of the Nakiri Family didn't just suddenly experience a central nervous system breakdown like that. Especially when her past medical history was as clean as a whistle and not to mention she had a healthy birth. She was as healthy as healthy could be and in a blink of an eye she was on death's door. He didn't want to think there was something unnatural about her death, but the inkling gnawed at him until it became unbearable. Sixteen years after her death was the perfect amount of time to fly by for the event to be buried deep enough, that the small, but significant details became too hazy and vague to refute against the Nakiri Azami's favour.

' _Or maybe that information broker wanted to plant a seed into my head for his own amusement. If I hadn't visited Eizan-kun this week, I wouldn't have walked past Orihara's detention cell and listened to him… then I wouldn't be obsessing over this'_

That was the thing. He couldn't trust Orihara Izaya the underground information broker from Shinjuku… could he? He was sitting in jail, waiting to be transferred to a maximum security prison, while his client, Nakiri Azami, was barely touched by the police. Surely he held Azami-dono in contempt, that's why he was willing to spill a dangerous secret about that man to Satoshi, when he got the chance for revenge! But if Azami-dono truly did have a hand in his wife's death… uncovering that could dethrone him.

 _'I don't have any preliminary evidence for the police to open a new investigation. I have no choice but to do this myself'_

Him and Polar Star Dorm. Senzaemon-dono was too grief-stricken to take action.

Satoshi tucked the memory stick into his inner blazer pocket. He carefully folded the lid and tucked it under one arm. He made his way to the door and only stopped short once he realised how cold he felt. It was really happening. For a whole one-and-a-half year he'd kept his seat and position. A place he worked tremendously hard to get, despite popular belief that he was purely talented enough to be given the seat on a silver platter. The auburn haired student straightened his tie and turned his head a bit, only enough to glimpse at the vast arching windows and the silhouette of the long and luxurious oak desk dominating the centre. For a split second he envisaged himself sitting in that tall plush arm chair, with his fingers laced in front of his mouth, his elbows propped on the smooth surface. He wondered if the students who came to see him thought he looked intimidating behind that desk. Did they think he looked too important? Did they think he was so far above them? Did they think he had the power to end their career at Tootsuki?

A small part of him was glad he was no longer on the council. At least now, he didn't have to feel ashamed to be put on a pedestal. He could walk amongst the students and be an equal.

He turned back around resolutely and forced himself to step over the threshold and pulled the door handle closed. The resounding boom of the large opulent door signaled the final closing of his chapter as seventh seater of a once proud school. It reverberated in his chest, almost goading him that he could have it again, if only he submitted to the new Director. A smile crept across Satoshi's thin lips. Not a chance.

"Ah… I need to have these delivered to Polar Star Dorm first" he muttered to himself.

Satoshi quickly found the Internal Courier Service Room located in the fifth corridor and provided the instructions to the officer there to send his things to Fumio-san to hold for him. Tootsuki was so big they even had their own courier service. He was surprised they didn't have their own postcode yet.

Now to meet with Azami-dono.

Satoshi squared his shoulders and re-straightened his tie. He'd been doing that often, especially when he was stressed. He made his way to the Director's office suite which was just in the next corridor. There was a line of men-in-black there just as he had predicted. Guarding the hall like their life depended on it. He didn't let that derail him as he kept his eyes straight at ahead and walked through them without so much as a stutter in his step. Satoshi plastered on a pleasant smile

"I have an appointment with the Director"

The final men-in-black nodded and opened the door. It released a long-winded creak.

"Azami-dono. The former seventh seater is here to see you"

"Marvelous. Leave us be"

Satoshi stepped through the door and the air sank. Everything looked the same as how Senzaemon-dono had kept it. Except the computer monitor was on the right hand side and on the left was a silver tray of tea and tea biscuits. Satoshi casted a quick glance at the office lounge, coffee table and matching rug between him and Azami-dono. He still felt like he'd entering a whole different world. It was all in the atmosphere. It was heavy, clouded, dark and repressive. It was like stepping into the awaiting jaws of a dragon. The criminal in question, Nakiri Azami, self-proclaimed new and true Director of Tootsuki sat across the room in a much larger oak desk of the finest quality. The orange and red glare of the well-traveled summer sun flooded the large and ornate office in a hellish glow, casting the excommunicated Nakiri in a sinister shadow. His face was all smiles which creeped out Satoshi to some degree. It was a manipulative smile that hid his sickening charm and silver- tongue, dripping with sugary venom. He was glad that Azami-dono closed his eyes when he smiled, so that he didn't have to see the cruel empty, and soulless blackness that were his eyes. He was dressed in an expensive black dress shirt and gleaming silver tie, with a pinstriped waist coat over it.

In Satoshi's opinion, he was _truly_ an ugly person. He had ugly thoughts, ugly dreams and ugly plans for Tootsuki. He was sure these things were in Azami-dono's heart every second, every day, every week and every year. Full of greed, insatiable hunger for power, cruelty and loathing for everything around him. That ugliness showed on his face despite looking so pristine, immaculate and handsome. One day it will become unbearable to look at him.

He had his arms perched on the desk, still in leather gloves with a Parker pen in his fingers, in the middle of signing his name on some documents.

"Isshiki-kun, please take a seat" Azami-dono gestured to the lounge in a good-natured way.

A secretary, trained to be a wallflower, came out of nowhere and placed a second silver tray of tea and biscuits. She poured the tea into both cups with an exact amount of tea and sugar. It seemed Azami-dono had a fondness of British tea. Senzaemon always poured the tea for his guest himself as he believed it had no meaning to the true act of hospitality if the host didn't perform the actions himself. Once finished, she briskly walking back the way she came from. Those biscuits looked something Souma-kun might need to take out a bank-loan to afford.

"No thank you, I prefer standing"

He kept his arms by his side and presented Azami-dono with his own disarming smile, letting him know that he didn't plan to stay long. Finally, the new Director opened his eyes. Satoshi wasn't disappointed. Those cold and calculative eyes were abysmal.

"Suit yourself. I want to know how you've been"

Satoshi gave a one-armed shrug. "I've relinquished my seat, so I'm managing as much as can be expected"

"I'm sorry it had to be this way. I want the best for this school even if it means a clean slate is needed for progressive change. In time, you will see it will all work out"

Azami-dono remained in his plush chair and stared at him from across the room. He leaned back casually into the over-sized back-rest and crossed his thin arms over his chest. The air of patronisation and arrogance was crystal clear. His hair was swept back neatly, as slick as his oily personality. The crows feet around his eyes were more prominent when he attempted to smile with his eyes.

"I understand Azami-dono. _Only the best will work out in the end"_ said Satoshi.

The Director chuckled under his breath and lightly shook his head as if he said something juvenile and amusing. Satoshi remained still, letting the viper know that he was unaffected by him.

"You must be relieved that Yukihira Souma was able to overturn the decision to close down Polar Star Dormitory from winning against Mimasaka-kun. That's one point in the Rebel Alliance's favour"

"I'm glad my _kouhais_ continue to have a roof over their heads. That is all I care for"

"Really now _…_ And how is my Erina?"

In that moment, he opened his sky blue eyes and analysed Azami-dono's facial expression as best as he could within the few seconds. All the signs pointed to the fact that he still hadn't found out his daughter was in fact _not_ being sheltered at Polar Star Dorm. At least that was what he hoped…

"She's doing fine. She is eating well and is being well looked after by the students of Polar Star Dorm"

"Thank you Isshiki-kun. I hope she isn't causing trouble for your _kohais._ As the daughter of a noble family, she's a bit ignorant of the ways of the world after all. So I am comfortable to leave her in your care"

The soft grin spreading across Azami-dono's thin lips sent a shiver down Satoshi's spine. This man was the type to be soft-spoken with barbed words and he took caution with this man to the fullest extent. For a father who supposedly 'valued' his daughter, whether as a tool or as his child, he didn't try to visit her at least _once_ when the news had spread that Nakiri Erina had ran away to Polar Star Dorms. News that Souma-kun personally dropped here and there so that it could naturally spread up the ranks to Azami-dono's ears. It made the auburn-haired student wonder if the opportunistic Nakiri knew all along she wasn't on campus and was just playing them.

"You don't want to take your daughter back?" asked Satoshi.

He chuckled and shook his head "Fumio-san has informed me that Erina doesn't want to speak to me and so, I will respect her wishes. If she desires to remain at Polar Star Dormitories for now, remain there, she shall"

Satoshi simply nodded.

"That's enough about my daughter" Azami-dono unfurled his arms and propped his elbows on the table, lacing his spindly fingers together in front of his face. Satoshi made a mental note to never assume that same pose again whenever he was behind a desk.

"I like you Isshiki-kun. You remind me of my younger self"

"Oh? How so, Azami-dono?"

"Talented, skilled, strong, tenacious and respectable. You command awe whilst still keeping a benevolent and light-natured personality. It appeals to even the most savage beasts, which has made you very well liked amongst your peers. I was once like that as a student of Tootsuki. But you and I both know that's only on the surface. Our facade, that is. I've read your file. Underneath you can be quite cunning and manipulative when you need to be. You hide your true skill and only reveal it when it benefits you. You use clever tactics to get your way all the time, valuing brain over brawn. But you and I both know that it gets tiresome to play the part of a placid student mingling around the dim-witted and the talentless second-rated chefs"

Satoshi remained silent.

He found it hard to believe Azami-dono had a speck of that so-called 'benevolence' in his younger days, much less appealing to anyone, even if it was all a mask. When he also found out that Azami-dono was a Polar Star Alumni in his investigations, he felt the need to get all his _kohais_ to scrub every inch of the dormitory clean to be rid of any left-over 'essence' of the man. He didn't know whether he should be disgusted or horrified to being compared to Azami-dono. Did he really see his younger self in him? It didn't sound like it boded well for Satoshi at all and it made his stomach turn.

 _'He's not totally wrong…'_

It was true he donned a mask of pleasantness, at times even comical and silly displays around the Polar Star Dorms. He got by his days simply like that and a deeper part of him craved to be liked by his peers. He wanted to be dependable, he wanted them to rely on him, he wanted to watch over his _kohais_ and care for them like a mother hen. It was one of the many ways he earned their respect. The only _kohai_ who evoked a sense of challenge from him in a long time was Yukihira Souma. It re-kindled the youthful burning passion to test his mettle and seek different rivals to sate his hunger for _shokugeki._ He had been so comfortable in his seventh seat, that he'd forgotten what it was like to _feel_ that, and from that encounter with Souma-kun onwards, he couldn't go about his days amongst the lower level students the same again.

The gap in skills became disparaging and in the end the pleasant _senpai_ mask indeed became _tiresome._

 _They all were so beneath him._

He wasn't particularly proud of his trait, but he couldn't deny that it was a part of who he was. Then came the calculating thoughts which bred behind his facade where no other being except Eizan-kun could tell. Schemes were plenty up is sleeves along with plans to put into action and supervise. Like this one right now. He was known to be the most cunning Elite Ten member that even Eizan-kun couldn't always figure his plans out. Azami-dono might thing he was looking into the mirror of his younger self through him, but there was one thing Isshiki Satoshi had that Nakiri Azami never did:

 _'The capacity to give a damn about the people around them'_

That was why as his last act as a seventh seater of the Former Elite Ten, he passed a number of set rules to ensure fair judgement for all future _Shokugekis,_ thus starting the _Survivor's Purge._ His final ditch attempt to protect his _kouhais_ in the name of the Elite Ten.

"I need somebody like that, Isshiki-kun. Are you sure you don't want to support my administration and regain your seat? You will have more privileges than before. Your grant money will be substantially greater. Your own dishes will be made as part of the curriculum so that other students will learn it and walk in greatness set by you. You will have the opportunity to carve out your success and come on top of everyone else under my glorious dynasty. By mine and Erina's side we can do _extraordinary_ things together"

Azami-dono had lifted himself from his seat in one fluid motion and strode around the huge oak desk towards Satoshi. He held his arms out wide in reverence to whatever holy blessing he thought he had. He smiled down at him, wide and gleeful, but his eyes remained black with a hint of mania. Satoshi's mouth had already broken from his usual smile to reflect the serious in which he felt in a tight lipped grimace. Once Azami-dono was right in front of Satoshi, he suddenly felt the repressive darkness from being within the close vicinity of the vile man. His expensive cologne assaulted his nose which only added to the repulsion he felt for the new Director. Nakiri Erina had endured most of her childhood in his toxic presence and it was a miracle she hadn't become as deranged as her father. Satoshi held his ground and looked at Azami-dono straight in those cold, dead eyes.

"As flattered as I am that you see some value in me, Azami-dono. I assure you. I _definitely_ don't want to be part of your Central. Not for men like you"

He chuckled "There are no other men like _me"_

Satoshi exhaled and shook his head.

 _"There are always men like you"_

* * *

 _'OH MY GOODNESS! Where did Souma-kun and Takumi-kun go?! They were just here second ago and now they've disappeared!'_

Megumi rapidly paced in a frantic circle wondering how did this reconnaissance fall apart so quickly. She wrung her hands together, feeling all jittery and anxious. They were supposed to be _quietly_ observing the Survivor Purge's matches to gain as much information as they could to formulate their plans. So much for blending in and being discreet! The Diner-Duo couldn't help themselves and sucked up all the attention in their fiery display of justice as they dropped a fantastic (but ill-timed!) speech against the new Central members.

 _AND NOW THEY'VE JUST LEFT HER BEHIND!_

The bluenette was sweating bullets as she strained her brain to figure out if she should leave this arena and find Souma-kun and Takumi-kun, because with those two together running loose with a bounty on their heads, only chaos would ensue and she was the only one who had even a chance to stop them. Or maybe she was too confident in her skills!

 _'I'm sorry Fumio-san, I was supposed to be responsible and keep and eye on them. I've let you down!'_

The first day of the Survivor's Purge was between Souma-kun and the extremely formidable Mimasaka Subaru, a new and proud member of Central. His underhanded tactics were boundless. His stalking skills were through the roof now and he went as far as to bribe the judges with his Central grant money to vote for his dishes before the taste-testing could begin! He created a series of rigged _shokugekis_ until the student's hope for their RS's survival were crippled beyond compare and they dared not go against Central.

Until Souma-kun defeated him again.

The victory had once again been glorious! And Polar Star had celebrated with a huge banquet all the way into the night. Souma-kun had set a precedent for all the students, that it was indeed _possible_ to defeat one of the Central members and even win against their dirty cheats! Hearing the news right after fighting tooth and nail to keep Mimasaka's new faction from breaking into Polar Star Dorms was a tremendous blessing and she thanked _Kami-sama_ for being on Souma-kun's side!

Their very own Yukihira Souma of the Polar Star Dorms became the official face of the Rebel Alliance and a symbol of hope for the school.

 _"Ha! All you mother-fuckers are gonna go crying home to your mummies now?"_

Megumi flinched at the high-pitched and callous voice of Kusunoki Rentarou.

He was terrifying to look at and she remained hidden behind the railings overlooking the stadium. He had wild blonde hair which was barely tamed by a black headband. He had a brow piercing and an ear piercing sporting a long chain with an inverted cross at the end. He had a jagged tattoo right under his eyes, completing his air of delinquency. He wore a flashy red and black chef's uniform which looked like the deadly red-back spider from Australia.

She was glad he finally ignored her after Souma-kun and Takumi-kun disappeared somewhere. He was incredibly violent in both his words and actions, pretty much on par with Kurokiba-kun when engaging in trash-talking. He reeked of confidence. He was absolutely ruthless in beating the captains of multiple RS's one after the other. His calm focus only adding to the intensity of his skills. Just like a row of tumbling dominoes, the RS's were disbanded one after the other like a rippling earthquake. Her heart caved into the emotional turmoil and trauma on behalf of the decimated students. Megumi's empathetic heart was a curse at times and she felt tears prickling her eyes as she watched the captains collapse onto their hands and knees in humiliating defeat.

The Spanish Cuisine RS

The Pudding RS

The Chanko RS

The Barbecue RS

And many, many more

All reduced to dust, just like that. None of them stood a chance!

 _"This is what happens when you think you have the balls to go against Central. I just cut them up, roast them, season them some nice parsley and garlic, topped with a thin crust of your flambéd pride, and serve it right back at your worthless and pathetic mugs on a silver platter with a side of your pulverised RS!"_ Kusunoki cackled and sneered at the captain of the Barbecue RS.

The defeated student punched the ground holding back his tears.

 _"We'll get C-Central for this… mark my words. You tear our communities apart and you will get your just desserts…"_

 _"What was that? I can't hear you from the mountain of success I'm sitting on~"_

Kusonoki grabbed the dish of beautiful barbecue pork ribs and ruthlessly threw it onto the floor. The dish shattered in jagged pieces and the meat was slathered all over the floor like road-kill in front of the captain of the Barbecue RS. The sticky homemade barbecue sauce splashed and smeared onto the captain's face. To make matters worse, Kusunoki-senpai stomped on it, grounding the succulent meat repeatedly under his heels and laughing loudly whilst the captain couldn't do a _single thing_ to stop him. Megumi clutched her hands to her chest as she watched the cruel display unfold below her.

 _"There's one more RS isn't there? Where's the little runt!"_

There was one more?! Megumi was sure that there was only eight scheduled in this arena.

A shriek pierced the air.

 _"Please! I beg of you! I-I've already submitted my paperwork to voluntarily d-disband my RS! Please d-don't make me do this!"_

Megumi's heart stopped.

 _'Nguyen-san!'_

She hurled her upper body over the railing and gaped. Her heart pounded in her chest. The young first year student was being wrangled by two male students twice her size, dragging her to the stadium by her armpits. She howled and cried, trying to kick out her legs and wrench her arm free but to no avail. Linh Ngoc Nguyen was the international transfer student she and Souma-kun were helping during the Summer Solstice festival. They had created a Vietnamese Food Truck to battle against Terunori-senpai in Nguyen-san's honour to make him apologise to the Vietnamese International student and take back his awful words about Vietnamese Cuisine being sub-par to Sichuan Cuisine. The dear girl was so timid and shy, so easily disheartened just like Megumi was before and by the end of the Summer Solstice Festival with some encouragement from Souma-kun, she found the courage the start up Tootsuki's first Vietnamese Cuisine Research Society. The poor girl was almost dangling in the air as she was being roughly man-handled, her school uniform twisting harshly around her limbs as it rode up her body. She continued twist and writhe, trying to set herself free.

 _"My boys told me you only submitted your application for dissolution this morning and guess what? It hasn't been processed yet, so your RS is still in it's miserable existence. I can't believe it only has one member which is you! That's like, the saddest thing I've ever heard! Goes to show how shit it really is"_

He spat on the floor.

Nguyen-san was dumped at Kusunoki-senpai's feet and fell into a painful heap. She got up on her elbows, and shook and shivered on the floor, tears flooding from her wide and terrified eyes. Her long black hair was a mess and strewn all over her face, caked in tears. She was utterly petrified, staring up at Kusunoki-senpai's savage form. She managed to clamour to her feet and in a fitful attempt, tried to run off the stage with her fingers clawing through the air to get away. However the two male students who forced her onto the stadium prompting grabbed her by her arms before she made a metre, and threw her back without an ounce of mercy.

 _"Stop this at once! The girl is unwilling!"_ The unbiased judging panel yelled, the same ones from the Autumn Elections last year.

 _"HEY! You're paid to judge, not to intervene! Do I need to call security to escort you out?"_

The judges were gobsmacked and paralysed with utter shock at the student talking back at them.

Nguyen-san yelped as her rump collided with the floor.

 _"Going somewhere?"_ Kusunoki-senpai smirked cruelly.

 _"W-What more do you want fr-from me…! I don't want to h-have a shokugeki with you, please! I've already d-done what Central wanted. This is wrong! I-I've discontinued my RS. I'm no m-match against you! Please let me go and let me keep my dignity!"_ Nguyen-san begged.

 _"Not a chance. You see, I'm on a roll right now with thirty two consecutive wins and I'm gonna get a shokugeki from you one way or another. You're so weak and defenseless, just how I like it"_

He licked his lips maliciously, causing Megumi to involuntarily convulse in both fear and disgust and Nguyen-san to cover her mouth in horror.

 _"It makes your defeat and humiliation all the more sweet for me. Keep saying 'no' and defy me with that pretty little mouth of yours and Central's gonna expel you back to Vietnam. All that tuition your family spend on you will be worth shit and you will hold your worthless head in shame back to your parents as an ultimate failure. Do you want that?"_

Nguyen-san only cried harder.

 _"N-No…!"_

 _"Then do as I say. Let's have a shokugeki"_

 _"Please… I d-don't want to! D-don't make me! HELP! Somebody help me!"_

 _"Scream all you fucking want. No-one's gonna help you. It's just you and me. Now,_ _ **GET OVER TO THAT BENCH!**_ _"_

Kusunoki-senpai's demeanour instantly turned violent as he thrusted his finger towards the empty cooking station and roared at her. Nguyen-san instantly screamed and held her arms up over her head and body, shielding herself from him in reflex. His henchman sniggered nastily as they watched Nguyen-san sprawled on the floor, shaking and shivering in pure terror. He took a threatening step forward and bent down. He snatched her thin wrist in his larger more powerful hand and pulled it away from her face, towards him so she couldn't escape. She tried to yank it free but it was futile as his grip only tightened to make his intentions known and she winced in pain as his face neared hers. She screwed her tear-swollen eyes shut once more and turned her head away as much as she could, inadvertently leaving her ears exposed to Kusunoki's cruel lips.

 _"You don't want me to use force. It'll only be all the more painful for you. Give in and have a shokugeki with me, and it will be over really quick. I promise. Okay?"_

 _"P-Please… have mercy…"_

 _ **BAM!**_

 _"When a girl says 'no' it means 'NO'. Didn't your parents teach you that?"_

The deafening slam made everybody's head whip towards the _shokugeki_ stadium entrance. Her own braids almost smacked her in the face. The slamming of the opening doors cracked like thunder and rolled across the spacious stadium. Megumi wiped the tears from her face and craned her neck to see what on earth was happening. That voice! She knew that voice! The loud clicking of thick school shoes reverberated against the linoleum floor, capturing everybody's attention. Kusunoki-senpai screwed his pierced brow in confuse, displeased with the interruption and dropped Nguyen-san's wrists. He stood up with his back and arms tensed up. The silhouette figure interrupting the barbaric display of abusive power flicked her hair back over her shoulders.

 _Nakiri Erina!? It was Nakiri Erina!_

She was back! _She was back!_

 _"Well, fuck me! You've decided to crawl out of your little hiding hole? Won't Daddy be pleased, heh"_ smirked Kusunoki-senpai, blatantly appraising her.

 _"So this is what the new Central has come to? Selecting savages like you to terrorise my students"_ she huffed.

 _"YOUR students? Oh, you think you own them do you?"_

 _"I own no-one, and neither does Central"_

The regal heiress folded her arms sternly across her well endowed chest. There was something different about her _…_ Megumi could see it! She stood tall and held her head high, pinning Kusunoki with a resolute and determined stare with her electrifying violet orbs. She walked into the stadium with utmost grace and poise, lined with a strength in each step. Her mouth lips were pressed together tightly as she glowered at the savage student from down her aristocratic nose. Her long and gleaming golden hair swayed gently from the open draft of the stadium doors. Megumi had never been so relieved to see her heart-shaped face filled with steeliness in her life. _Those eyes…_ There was a strength in them which Megumi had never seen before and simmering wisdom she never knew Nakiri-san had. The aura around her was pulsating with a fighting spirit that could rival Souma-kun's.

Wherever Nakiri-san had run away too, she returned a changed person. Megumi couldn't wrench her eyes from her, captivated by a raw power emanating from the Heiress.

 _"Nguyen-san… I apologise that you had to be subjected to this farce"_ Nakiri-san ignored Kusunoki-senpai completely and strode purposefully towards the cowering first year student.

 _"Y-You… know my name?"_ Nguyen-san squeaked in disbelief, hiccuping through her tears.

 _"Yes, now are you alright to get up?"_

Nguyen-san hastily nodded and scrambled to her feet and flew over to the Nakiri heiress's side. She cradled her bruised wrist, holding it tightly to her chest as the small girl ducked behind Nakiri-san. Megumi was in shock and awe at the blatant display of concern and compassion from the usually volatile and pompous girl! What on Earth had happened to Nakiri Erina! The two hulking students didn't dare try to do anything in their Director's daughter's presence and continued to flank Kusonoki-senpai on both sides. She then turned her steely gaze back to Kusunoki-senpai.

 _"I believe forcing a shokugeki onto someone isn't part of any rules set up by Isshiki-senpai's Survivor's Purge. Explain your actions"_ she demanded.

 _"Just getting a bit of fun by having my way with her is all. I pretty much mopped the floor with everyone else and I've still got time to kill"_ he shrugged his shoulders like it was nothing and carelessly twirled his paring knife between his nimble fingers.

 _"Hmmph. You really are despicable"_ seethed Nakiri-san.

 _"Takes one to know one"_

 _"Not to worry, Kusunoki Rentarou. I believe that's your name. You'll get your shokugeki. Nguyen-san, sign here on the dotted line"_

Nakiri-san signed pulled a neatly folded piece of paper on from her inside blazer pocket, along with a twist-ballpoint pen. She handed it to Nguyen-san who received it with both hands and an awkward bow of the head. She dipped her head and her eyes skimmed over the lines, until her brown eyes widened and she gasped.

 _"Wh-What is this?_ " she asked.

" _This contract states that I will become a new member of the Vietnamese Cuisine RS. Then I will fight for your RS in your honour. Please sign it"_ Nakiri Erina simply said.

"EHHHH?!" Megumi couldn't believe her ears!

She never thought Nakiri Erina would be generous enough to provide a helping hand, much less _join_ an RS just to participate in a _shokugeki for somebody else's sake_. Nakiri-san didn't participate in any _shokugekis_ and she usually dispatched a student to do it for her, thus freeing up her time to pursue more important matters like taste-testing jobs and important meetings. In other words, _shokugekis_ were beneath her. Yet here she was pulling out a contract to say she will join an RS and participate in a battle! Where were Souma-kun and Takumi-kun to witness this unbelievable scene and confirm to her that she wasn't hallucinating!

 _"Seriously? You want to have the shokugeki in her place? Even if we did, once the paperwork finally passes through, the fucking Vietnamese Cuisine RS will be over anyway. So all your efforts will be for nothing!"_ scoffed Kusunoki-senpai.

 _"I've sent my aide, Hisako, to intercept the paperwork and withdraw it"_ she smirked at him.

A bulging artery pulsed on his wide forehead, very close to his brow piercing and his eyes were aflame. His waving blonde hair seemed to bristle and stand on end. He bared his teeth and sneered at Nakiri-san, as he realised he wasn't going to crush the Vietnamese Cuisine RS in the way that he wanted. Nakiri Erina cocked a delicate golden eyebrow, _daring_ him to say something back as she stood there, unmoving and undefying in his face. The audience around them muttered and whispered as confusion and anxiety bloomed across the bleachers. Suddenly his snark turned into a nasty grin as he waved his hand in the air, throwing his paring knife into the air and deftly catching the handle in his other hand.

 _"Feh! I've always wanted to battle against an Elite Ten member anyway!"_

 _"N-Nakiri-sama…"_

 _"Is something wrong?"_ She took a break from giving Kusunoki-senpai the business end of her contemptuous glares and turned back to the Vietnamese chef, gazing at her cooly.

 _"Why are you d-doing this… You don't need to. I-I am nothing, I'm just an insignificant first year. The Vietnamese Cuisine RS is so small and only e-existed because I'm the s-sole member. I'm a n-nobody. So why is somebody as great and famous as you… going this far… for somebody unimportant like me?"_

Nakiri Erina diverted her beautiful violet eyes to the ceiling. Something misted over them which Megumi couldn't quite comprehend. Her hands dropped to her side and her perfectly manicured fingers unfurled as she gazed upwards, her mouth slightly fell open and all the muscles in her elegant face relaxed, leaving a plain serenity to cascade over her porcelain skin. Megumi tilted her head to the side, trying to understand and guess what Nakiri Erina could be thinking in this moment. All she knew was that she had changed. This was a new Nakiri Erina who'd been reborn. It only lasted for a mere moment before she dropped her head towards the ground.

 _"A really infuriating person called me an_ _ **Empress.**_ _He told me: '_ _ **You have a responsibility now. A real one this time. Do you know what to do?'**_ _"_

Megumi couldn't make heads or tails over that comment. Who said that to her? But whatever it meant, it had struck something deep in Nakiri-san, from the way she whispered those words in such a poignant tone.

 _"And I DO know what to do now… Nguyen-san… You are a student in MY school, MY empire created by my family, and that makes you important. Every student who wants to be in Tootsuki is important. It might have taken a real jerk to make me realise this… But I'm not going to stand by and let everyone's future be ruined by Father when I can do something about it!_ _ **I have a responsibility to every Tootsuki student!"**_

Nakiri-san suddenly yelled at Kusunoki-senpai, surprising everyone with her candour. Megumi was in reverance. Her respect for Nakiri Erina peaked. But Kusunoki-senpai made a big show of yawning, complete with patting his palms onto his wide open mouth.

"Erina-sama's learnt that a true Emperor is not judged on how many people are his servants, but by how many people he serves"

"WAAHHH!?"

Megumi jumped out of her skin and banged her side against the upstairs railing. She crumpled to the ground and rubbed her sore ribs. Owwwie _…_ Suddenly a gentle hand helped her to stand up and she grabbed onto their shoulder for support. She hissed and open her eyes and was shocked to see the rosette-haired student, whom she hadn't seen in a week!

"Hisako-san?! What are you doing back here?"

Lo and behold, it was Nakiri-san's aide!

"Erina-sama decided that she wasn't going to runaway anymore. I've just gotten back from the Administration building. I've managed to withdraw Nguyen-san's application to dissolve the Vietnamese Cuisine RS just in time _…_ " she huffed and puffed lightly, catching her breath.

She must've raced up the stairs. Was it just her or was Arato Hisako looked a bit tanned? She had some eye-bags, as if somebody sent her to work in a sweatshop. She brushed her short rosette hair behind her ears. Her hair was a bit longer, maybe just one centimetre and her eyes were equally determined as Nakiri-san. If they were back, it meant Alice-san and Kurokiba-san were back too right? Where were they?

"H-How did you know that Nguyen-san was scheduled to have a last minute _shokugeki_ with Kusunoki-senpai?" asked Megumi.

"Funny you should ask that. Yesterday, I received an anonymous text that the first year student, 'Linh Ngoc Nguyen' was going to be subjected to a Shokugeki against her will in this arena. Erina-sama decided to take matters into her own hands"

"I-I see… But nobody knew about this match until now"

"I don't know, the text was anonymous. Look, I can't stay here for long. I need to find Isshiki-senpai really quick. I have something important to show him. Where might I find him?" Hisako-san grabbed Megumi's shoulder, a great urgency in her magenta eyes.

"Uh-Uh, he was packing his things from his Elite Ten office _…_ I think he might still be there but—"

 _"BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! Enough of the chit-chat, Your Royal Highness. You don't need to make a fucking campaign out of it. Now let's have that shokugeki before I'm gonna have to smack a bitch up"_

Kusunoki-senpai's obnoxious voice stole the two girl's attention away. He leered at Nakiri-san and Nguyen-san as he started to cackle, impatience and giddiness manifesting in the way he rapidly twirled his paring knife. Hisako-san glared in disapproval at such foul language directed at her Lady and her hands took hold of the railing, squeezing it tightly. She indeed was like a guard-dog.

Nakiri-san scoffed.

 _"You've got it the other way around._ _I'm the one who'll be smacking bitches"_

 _NAKIRI ERINA CURSED NOW?!_

"Oh _Kami-sama…_ We've spent too much time with Hitsugaya-kun _…_ " muttered Hisako-san, rubbing her hand over her face.

Megumi didn't bother asking who Hitsygaya-kun was. She had definitely seen it all.

* * *

 **Erina and the gang are back! :D Yay! Going away for a week was good for her, wherever Ryuusenka Apo-AAAAAAAHHHH! was.**

 **As our beloved Eizan is sitting in jail 'reflecting' on his actions, he didn't battle against Yukihira in my story and rig the** _ **shokugekis**_ **like in the canon** **. Instead, Yukihira battled against Mimasaka who rigged the matches, and still won like a boss, AGAIN!**

 **And what has Hisako have, to show Isshiki?**

 **Don't forget to visit my poll and vote for your favourite OC in** **A Touch of Saffron** **:) Ayame, Chizuru or Kuchiyose! (and check out who's winning the race kekekeke).**

 **Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing-off**

 **\- TripWire-dono**


	38. Through the Looking Glass

_Chapter 38 – Through the Looking Glass_

* * *

" _Are they serious?! Erina-sama and Kusunoki are going to have a shokugeki right here, and right now?!"_

" _I've never seen Erina-sama cook before! I heard that she cooks like a holy angel orchestrating divine symphony to produce the perfect music fit for those who are beyond mere mortals"_

" _Oooohhh! I'm getting pumped"_

" _Erina-sama is totally going to wipe the floor with his arse!"_

Megumi watched as the crowd stirred in excitement. It rippled through the auditorium like an oncoming _tsunami._ Arato-san had already left to go hunt down Isshiki-senpai, leaving a very frazzled and confused bluenette behind. The well-known secretary was in such an awful hurry and Megumi hoped that nothing was seriously wrong. But then again, with everything that was happening, it could only be bad. Megumi continued to watch Kusunoki-senpai practically buzzing as he couldn't wait to sink his claws into Nakiri-san's neck. He possessed not an ounce of respect for anyone she could see today. The bluenette had no doubt that the Nakiri heiress would definitely win the match as she was perfect in everything she did, but what she was incredibly concerned about was that she was back here so soon.

" _Ha! Such gumption! Pick whatever theme you like within the Vietnamese Cuisine category. I'll give you a match which you'll be having nightmares of for years to come"_

 _"It's like you have no clue who I am,_ _Kusunoki-san. But if you wish so badly to be taught a lesson, I could hardly refuse"_

Nakiri-san strutted over to the cooking station and plucked a fresh apron from beneath the counter. She expertly wrapped it around her school uniform, nice and tight before inspecting the knives. Kusunoki-senpai strode back to his counter, eager and ready to start. Nguyen-san was escorted off the stage by a few students who were brave enough to go over to see if she was alright and lead her away. Megumi's blood raced. If only she hadn't left her phone back at the Polar Star dorms, she could've called Souma-kun and Takumi-kun back here on the double! She could hardly go find them herself because there had to be at least one Rebel Alliance member to witness this battle for he reconnaissance and report back, so she glued herself to the railing. She prayed that the diner-duo returned in time.

" _Cuisine from_ _ **Central Vietnam**_ _. That'll be the theme"_ said Nakiri-san.

The crowd gasped and it echoed, followed by buzzing murmurs swarming around the _shokugeki_ hall. Megumi nodded. Nakiri Erina was keeping true to one of the three themes Nguyen-san would have chosen, out of respect for the RS she suddenly joined on the spot. Megumi recounted in her head everything she had learnt about **Central Vietnamese cooking.**

The abundance of spices produced by central Vietnam's mountainous terrain made this region's cuisine notable for its spicy food, which set it apart from the North and South Vietnam where food was mostly not spicy. Huế in the central region was once the capital of the last dynasty of Vietnam and according to Nguyen-san, Huế's culinary tradition featured highly decorative and colourful food, reflecting the influence of ancient Vietnamese royal cuisine. The region's cuisine was also notable for its sophisticated meals consisting of many complex dishes served in small portions. Chili peppers and shrimp sauces were among the frequently used ingredients. Some Vietnamese signature dishes produced in central Vietnam included _bún bò Huế_ which she and Souma-kun made during the Summer Solstice Festival for their Vietnamese Food truck. Central Vietnam was the region in which food was prepared with the strongest, boldest flavours. This region was constantly under harsh weather conditions all throughout the year, so people there didn't have as many green ingredients as others did in North and South of Vietnam. Instead, the coastline around Central Vietnam area was known for its salt and fish sauce industries which were the two condiments central to their daily diets.

Since Nakiri Erina had the match in the bag no matter how much Kusunoki-senpai was boasting, then why was Megumi still feeling anxious as anything? it gnawed and chewed in her stomach like a stray dog trying to make dinner out of gristle. _Okaa-chan_ told her that was because she had always been an intuitive and sensitive girl, even as a little child, and that she sometimes knew something bad was going to happen before it did, even though on the outside everything seemed fine.

" _Central Vietnamese cuisine it is!"_ yelled Kusunoki-senpai. _"We'll have two hours"_ He pointed to the man standing by the impressive starting gong.

" _Ready"_ sneered Kusunoki-senpai

" _Set"_ said Nakiri-san

" _G—"_

 **"** _ **Halt"**_

EHH?!

Megumi's brown eyes shot towards the competitors entrance down below. She craned her neck until it almost snapped off to get a better look. If her eye's deceived her, then it was Hayama-kun! But as the emerging figure walked closer and closer, she realised that her eyes weren't tricking her and it really was him. His silver hair, loose against his shoulder-blades and his tanned skin was unmistakable. She rarely saw him with his hair down. He walked with his arms crossed until he reached the kitchen stations. Megumi could see that Kusunoki-senpai was getting increasingly aggravated and shooting venomous eyes at him, demanding answers, and Nakiri-san was also annoyed, but more restrained and on guard.

" _The Director has ordered the Surivivor's Purge to cease for the day and resume tomorrow"_ said Hayama-kun.

There was something different about him… something _bad…_ Megumi chewed her nails as she tried to figure out what on Earth was going on. Why was Hayama-kun delivering a message from Director Azami? Director Azami had his _own_ people for that, unless…

' _No way… It cannot be!'_

Sure enough there was a large badge on the lapel of his blue blazer. The blazer hung loosely against his shoulders, like a cape. Hayama-kun wasn't the type to be wearing anything decorative on himself if he could help it _…_ She couldn't make out the details of the badge but she knew enough that there could be only one reason why he was wearing it for everyone to see.

' _That's… That's Central's Badge!'_

Since when had Hayama-kun joined Central?! It was utterly bizarre! Well… he was never officially part of the Rebel Alliance. As a matter of fact, he had been keeping low and nobody had heard a peep from him since Nakiri Azami's grand entrance. Sure Hayama-kun often minded his own business and stayed away from the hub-bub. But recently, nobody knew what he was doing or what he was up to. Was this where he had been all along? Right in Director Azami's pockets? What of Shiomi-sensei's seminar? She had no idea. It was like the world stopped spinning and was crumbling apart into the black cosmic nothingness. The natural of order was thrown into chaos. Megumi wanted to believe there was some reason other than greed for Hayama-kun to join Central, but it was hard to think otherwise. All she remembered from Hayama-kun was his vow to dethrone Nakiri-san the first chance he got. It looked like he more than succeeded.

" _AH! There's Hayama!"_

"WAAHHH! S-Souma-kun?!"

Megumi almost fell over the railing head-first into the crowd below. She got the fright of her life when that missing rebel suddenly appeared from over her shoulder like a jack-in-the-box. Where did they go?! Aldini-kun skidded to a stop beside her, his forehead dripping with sweat as he leaned precariously against the railing sucking in a huge lungful of air. Megumi stared at the two boys all haggard from lots of running, only Souma-kun seemed to recover faster and was gaping like a fish at Hayama-kun down below.

"We've made it. Damn those Central guys ain't bad down at the other block. But Nikumi managed to beat their arse into the ground and saved the Don RS from disanding" he grinned at Megumi.

She didn't know whether she should demand an explanation for their disappearance or express her relief and congratulations for Mito-san. Before she could decide, Souma-kun turned his attention back to the kitchen stations down below. She just nodded, still recovering herself from too many surprises during the day.

"Hey, Nakiri is there too" The blonde Aldini pointed down onto the kitchen stations at Nakiri Erina, but Souma-kun took no notice at all that the runaway princess was back at Tootsuki. He was too focused on Hayama-kun.

"HAYAMA! WHAT'S UP WITH THE UGLY BADGE ON YOUR JACKET!"

Souma-kun cupped his hands over his lips and hollered down into the hall. All eyes immediately diverted to them. Megumi squeaked as she tried to make herself as small as possible and find somewhere to hide. Oh no, this was embarrassing! She hated being in the centre of attention. But it was too late and they were found out just like that, curious eyes boring into her. She could see Aldini-kun slapping his palm over his face and muttered something aggressive in Italian. What it was, she could not say. Souma-kun leaned over the railing with a concerned expression on his face whilst Hayama-san's intense jade eyes pierced back at him. Even though he had the lower ground, he was still looking down on the red-headed diner chef with no problems.

" _Yukihira Souma…"_ said Hayama-kun.

"Mate, there's got to be some mistake—"

" _No mistakes Yukihira"_ Hayama-kun cut him off like deadly scythe _"I'm a part of Central now. I'm on the ninth seat. I'm no longer on your level. My job now is to get rid of you lot"_ he smirked up at them.

Souma-kun pulled a perplexed look with an underlying bit of perturbance lining his features, as if he wasn't expecting to hear that. "You've been laying low for some time. And here I was happy to see you back in the land of the living again, but you go off all high and mighty… Look here mate, there's a million and one things I want to ask you"

" _And they are?"_

"For starters, what the hell happened to Shiomi-sensei's seminar!" Souma-kun shook his fist at Hayama-kun.

" _Ah, it's dead"_

It felt like somebody stabbed her in the chest. Shiomi-sensei's seminar _…_ _was no more?!_ Tears brimmed and her vision when blurry from tears threatening to cascade down her face. The shock of hearing her favourite professor's beloved seminar was gone did more to her that what she could imagine. The despair for the fantastic seminar wasn't the only thing she was feeling. It was the complete horrified shock from the way he said it. It was like Hayama-kun himself was dead inside. Not a spark of emotion. All that was left was his callousness. His tone was listless and final, carrying the weight of infinity on his back. The way he dipped his head slightly to look at the floor momentarily before flicking it back up to them showed no remorse. Hayama-kun was the type of person to do things without any regrets. Letting the Shiomi-seminar, _his home_ , disband was surely something he would regret for the rest of his life. Right? Yet here he was at Director Azami's beck and call.

" _Any autonomous organisations outside Central are useless. What's what Director Azami thinks. I shouldn't even need to tell you"_

Megumi couldn't take it anymore. She found the courage to run back to the railing and yelled down at her fellow classmate "The Shiomi-seminar…! Professor Shiomi herself…! Weren't these things precious to you, Hayama-kun?!".

His eyes remained empty. Her heart shook.

" _I've got my own question for you Yukihira"_ Hayama-kun completely ignored her.

"Yeah? Shoot"

" _What the fuck have you been up to all this time?"_

Megumi flinched from the complete disgust and crude words rolling off of Hayama-kun's tongue. His eyes were absolutely blazing a molten jade now as he stared up at Souma-kun, as if he was the only person he could see. The air turned very tense and she couldn't wait to leave, but was completely ensnared. Souma-kun and Aldini-kun both had their hackles raised as they also pinned Hayama-kun with their own deadly looks.

" _Protecting your dorm… rebelling against Azami-dono, rather piss-easy victories if you ask me. During the Autumn Elections last year, you bared your fangs at me. You were gunning for the top of this academy. Was that all bullshit? While you've squandered away your time, I've been climbing my way to the top"_

Souma-kun was now glowering like no tomorrow. His golden eyes glinting dangerously. Megumi turned around at the whoosh of a sleeve next to her as Aldini-kun also stepped forward with a predatory expression on his face.

"I'll kick you down, and aim even higher" said Souma-kun in a steely voice.

"Bring it, Yukihira" Hayama-kun spreaded his arms out wide "Your defeat awaits"

 _ **BAM!**_

The sound of a butcher's cleaver slamming into the wooden cutting board. The murderous intent from Kusunoki Rentarou was almost palpable as his grip against the handle shook. His muscles were all tensed and coiled and his head was bowed as if he couldn't bear to look at any of them in his anger.

" _Shut your face already! What the hell is going on with Azami-dono's head! The school day isn't over yet! You just wanted to cock-block me didn't you Hayama!"_ yelled the wild Kusunoki-senpai as he dragged his hand over his face in exasperation. _"And you too Yukihira! You just had to show up and steal all the lime-light like you always do, didn't you?"_

"Hmm? Who are you and when did you get here?" asked Souma-kun.

" _I'm Kusunoki Rentarou of Central and I've been here the whole damn time, you turd!"_ Kusunoki-senpai screamed back, a large vein pulsing dangerously on his forehead. He bared his sharp teeth like a rabid wolf, far from pleased with the turn of events. Megumi sighed. Trust Souma-kun to be way too blunt for what was good for him.

"Oh my bad! You must've been standing a bit off to the side, so I couldn't see you" he rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed and cheesy grin on his face. It seemed he was genuinely apologetic. Aldini-kun was tutting under his breath at Souma-kun's hopelessness.

" _THERE'S FUCKING LIGHTS EVERYWHERE!"_

" _Enough!"_ yelled Nakiri Erina.

Megumi had almost forgotten about the Nakiri heiress too. She had been completely drawn into the feud Souma-kun and Hayama-kun was creating together, like a black hole sucking in all the light. She couldn't break away with her own volition if she wanted to. Nakiri Erina had long gone ripped off the apron from herself and it was lying on the counter. She had her hands propped onto her hips as she harrumphed and gave all the boys a stern glare, the perfect image of an incensed headmistress with a trio of troublemakers dumped at her feet.

"Hey Nakiri! You're back! Did you just get here?"

" _I WAS HERE THE WHOLE TIME TOO, YOU IDIOT!"_

"Glad you're looking well!" Souma-kun waved at her jovially, letting her fury slide off him as if the bad blood between himself and Hayama-kun had no effect on his natural disposition.

Nakiri Erina pursed her lips and puffed her cheeks slightly before flicking her head the other way, like she couldn't stand looking at Souma-kun. She stomped away from the kitchen stations, leaving Kusunoki-senpai to stew, rant and rave before the dreadful security started coming in to herd the students back to the main school building like a cattle-drove. Tootsuki was becoming a prison. Nobody could do anything without permission, couldn't go anywhere private for a break. The black-clad highly trained men were always watching, waiting for a wrong move to catch a student and send them to detention. It made the Rebel Alliance's movements that much harder. They scared Megumi. These men were most likely also trained to kill. Hayama-kun, Kusunoki-senpai, the judges and the gong-ringer finally left the auditorium, but there were still students slowly making their way out of the hall, with Director Azami's men right on their heels. She stomped up the stairs onto the loft all three of them were on until she was face to face with Souma-kun.

"It's not all well, let me remind you. You three come with me. We've got a lot to talk about and I'd rather have you all informed about the latest development before Father summons me" she snapped in a very restrained voice.

"Oh? You've got a plan or something?" asked Souma-kun.

Megumi, Souma-kun and Aldini-kun huddled around her, but still making sure to keep an eye out for any security coming towards them. Both boys were immediately tensed up as they leaned in close as soon as The Nakiri Heiress's voice dropped into a low whisper.

 _ **"It's about my mother's death. We think Father murdered her"**_

* * *

"Oh… my god… Are you serious?!"

Ayame jumped up from the sofa, wrenching herself from Takumi-kun's comfortable and warm embrace. Her boyfriend didn't look all that pleased that he was suddenly holding an armful of empty air. Ayame stopped fidgeting and whispered a quick sorry before settling back into his arms. She hadn't seen Takumi-kun for a while because of school and his rebel thingy, so she was completely serene to just lean against his warmth and revel in the light butterfly kisses he peppered on her forehead. She was even hoping for a make-out session… but that didn't happen. He slowly reached down and grasped the back of her knees, lifting them up. He gently turned her around so that she was laying her legs across his laps. Ayame sighed when she felt his calloused finger-tips tracing soothing circles against her thighs. She thought that it was hilarious that he didn't pass a certain invisible line on her thighs and religiously kept below the half-way mark. Still a gentleman as always.

"Don't go around telling anyone, alright _amore?_ Nothing is confirmed and we've only had one meeting about it" said Takumi-kun.

 _We._ He was talking about the Rebel Alliance meeting which secretly took place in the Polar Star Dormitories in the dead of night. That meeting was late last night, which meant Takumi-kun and Isami-kun had to sleep over. It wouldn't do to have the Aldini brothers traversing in and out of Tootsuki in the darkness because that had 'suspicion' painted in luminescent retro pink all over. Luckily Polar Star Dormitory functioned as an independent nation from Tootsuki… for now… so they could get away with having secret meetings.

Takumi-kun threw his golden head against the back of the sofa and sighed. His protruding Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Ayame agreed that it was a _whole_ lot of information to take in. She was glad that after school Ayame made a quick trip to the _shouten_ that was around Mitsumiya ward and bought a few snacks and candy. However, if she knew that Takumi-kun was going to be down in the dumps again, she would've splurged and bought even more. Although that shop was under new management, the products there was still the same and the shop front was still the same. Except the signage was heavily worn away by the elements. When she arrived at Takumi-kun's and Isami-kun's apartment like she always did a few times a week before the exam period, she instantly saw there was something weighing heavily on her boyfriend's mind. He was completely distracted; his face was either blank or pensive. His eyebrows would randomly knit together and he was making sudden pauses for no reason in everything he did. He also responded vaguely to her as if feigning interest Ayame's news for the day. She let it slide. She wasn't upset that he wasn't paying attention to her, she was more concerned that he was keeping something really important inside again, causing him to stew.

"Okay, okay… so let me get this straight… Erina-san, Alice-san, Arato-san and Kurokiba-san finally came back from… _wherever the hell they've been_ … They found out that it's a possibility that Azami Nakiri _murdered his wife_ , Erina-san's mother all those years ago?!"

Ayame's brain swam at lightning speed, trying to digest that single piece of _outrageous_ information. Wow… what a burden for a group of teenagers to carry on their young shoulders.

"I know it sounds _pazzo,_ but that's right" replied Takumi-kun.

"So how… did that contact come to this conclusion? Like, what made them think that Director Azami _murdered_ his wife? I mean, that's a very serious allegation!" Ayame scooted closer to Takumi-kun. He exhaled loudly. His long fingers left her thighs and travelled back to her hand as he rubbed her knuckles with the pad of this thumb.

"Arato-san's _contact_ who runs that 'safe-house', pinpointed the… _murder weapon_ …" Takumi-kun scrunched up his nose in distaste "Could be hemlock" he finished.

 _"Hemlock?_ Like the poisonous plant? Hemlock poisoning?" asked Ayame.

She leaned forward and tilted her head to get a better look at Takumi-kun. His gaze was off in the distance, but the sudden appearance of her in his main line of vision captured his attention again and he turned back to her. Ayame was about to say something but he suddenly dipped his head down and gave a sweet, and chaste kiss on the lips. It was short, but his lips lingered against hers, leaving light tingles on her lips and her nose was filled with his natural scent. Takumi-kun pulled back, but not too far, leaving the soft strands of his golden hair tickling her cheeks. Ayame rubbed her nose against his. Both teenagers couldn't find it in their hearts to smile right now.

"How?" whispered Ayame.

"Isshiki-san got a hold of the medical and autopsy report from Senzaemon-dono shortly after Azami took over Directorship. Senzaemon-dono probably saw no sense in hiding it now. The report was listing out all these different symptoms Nakiri Erina's mother experienced leading up to her death. Vomiting, intense nausea, weak body movements, rapid pulses, respiratory distress, seizures and finally heart failure"

Takumi-kun counted it all down meticulously on his fingers. Ayame visibly cringed at hearing all those symptoms back-to-back. It really sounded like a death sentence. It was absolutely horrible. She couldn't imagine the confusion, the fear and pain Nakiri Erina's mother had gone through as her body was breaking down, assaulted by a mysterious disease or sickness the doctors had no idea where it came from or how to treat it.

"Nobody talked about it in the Nakiri family for so many years, too scared to upset Senzaemon-dono. The Nakiri cousins were brought up to think Nakiri Nadeshiko just simply got sick and died" Takumi-kun shrugged.

"Only, it wasn't actually simple" Ayame commented.

"Anyway. Isshiki-senpai phoned Arato-san while they were in hiding, to tell her about what he'd found out in the report, and she in turn told her secret contact about it too. Whoever this contact was, and whatever skill they possessed, they came to the conclusion that all those combination of symptoms are caused by hemlock poisoning" explained Takumi-kun.

"Wow, this contact seems to know their stuff" said Ayame. "But how come the doctor didn't figure it out?"

"I don't know. There are even things that elude doctors. Arato-san and the Nakiri cousin's insisted on keeping the 'safehouse' people and the location a secret" said Takumi-kun.

"How could this contact be that sure? That must have been a million to one deduction"

Ayame removed her legs from Takumi-kun's lap, already missing the heat from him which was keeping her legs nice and toasty warm, but she was feeling all stiff. She got up and stretched her arms up, feeling her school blouse rise up over her waistline. She released a sigh and her joints popped deliciously, and a flood of dopamine flowed all the way down her body. Ayame twisted her torso for one final stretch and glanced backwards only to see Takumi-kun gazing hotly at her and some pink dusting his cheeks. Hmmm? Was it because her blouse was riding up? He didn't cough and turn his head away this time and he kept running his eyes up and down her body. Ayame felt her cheeks heating up a bit herself at being surveyed so blatantly by Takumi-kun like that. He certainly was getting more and more confident. She pulled her blouse down and fhopped back onto the sofa and tucked her legs under herself, glad that the stiffness in her muscles were gone. Takumi-kun shifted closer to her, the dip in the seat cushions causing her to gravitate towards him and she resumed snuggling into his side. Her boyfriend curled an arm around her shoulder and rested his chin on her head. Ayame listened to the slow exhales escaping his nose.

"Arato-san trusts this person greatly and, since we trust her, we all decided to trust this contact too. Then there's the next step after this"

"Which is?" asked Ayame.

"Somehow prove that he murdered his wife, send him to jail, and then get Senzaemon-dono back. Isshiki-senpai and Yukihira have been talking to each other a lot in between classes and I bet even more so back at Polar Star Dorms. They might have some ideas how. To be honest, I don't even know what we're supposed to do with this information! _There's a possible murder!_ We're not going to have regular meetings in-case Azami gets suspicious"

"It must have been horrible for Erina-san and Alice-san to have found out that their close family member was murdered by that awful man" said Ayame.

" _Si,_ it was. It's really hard to swallow the fact that all this damn misfortune on our heads is _possibly_ all because of a murder sixteen years ago" Takumi-kun groaned through gritted teeth and fisted his hand on the backrest right behind Ayame. She could tell from the way his forearm and biceps tensed up against her shoulders. "Anyway, enough about me. I'm sorry, I hardly heard anything you said about your day. Will you tell me?"

"Hmm, I don't know. You were so busy talking about yourself. I don't think I want to tell you anymore" Ayame sighed dramatically and turned her head away, putting on airs and grace as she tried to make Takumi-kun beg. She didn't think she could hold her act for long.

"Please, I want to know how my _amore's_ day's been. I promise to listen to every word"

Takumi nestled his head at the junction of her neck, catching her surprise. He knew that was her sensitive spot! Ayame giggled and swatted his head away, trying to push him up, but she was pulled tightly into another locked hug as Takumi-kun showered her with more kisses along her neck.

"Alright! Alright! Keep your lips still and I might be able to edge a word in!" Ayame shrieked with laughter. Takumi-kun's stopped and his low chuckled rumbled through his chest, sending sweet vibrations to Ayame. His blue eyes crinkled up as he smiled at her.

Ayame cleared her throat and smoothed down her skirt "The school canteen added coconut water in the vending machines today. I've been guzzling that any chance I could"

"Coconut water is the new health food trend at the moment isn't it? Better than peach iced tea at least" asked Takumi-kun.

His beautiful eyes lost the forlorn and troubled gaze as he smiled and nodded his head. It was the clear sky-blue she always loved filled with passion as he leaned back against the sofa with her. It was like all the trouble that's been happening at Tootsuki wasn't affecting them anymore in this moment. Ayame and Takumi-kun were settled peacefully in their own bubble. She loved this feeling.

"Which was why our school bought it. Oh! And Chizuru-chan bumped into Hayama-san the other day. At the department store"

"Really? What for?"

Ayame rolled her eyes and flicked her boyfriend back on the nose. He yelped and blinked in confusion before rubbing his nose, giving her an accusatory glare.

"What do you mean 'what for?'? It was just a coincidence. Geez, you make it sound like Chizuru-chan is your enemy and every one of her actions are questionable"

Ayame huffed and bit the insides of her cheek, raising her eyebrows at him. She didn't understand why her boyfriend and her best friend had so much animosity towards each other. It was just all banter between those two. They couldn't meet up without either one of them throwing the first punch, metaphorically speaking of course. Takumi-kun grumbled and turned his head away from her, the pink on his cheeks intensifying.

"She annoys me"

"You hardly see her now"

"Hearing her name annoys me"

" _Anyway, continuing on_. He paid for the candle she was getting and now she won't shut up about him and how he's stripped away her rights as an independent woman who could buy her own things" finished Ayame.

"That's… really weird. Hayama being generous and paying for someone is… unheard of"

"Well, maybe Hayama-san is sweet on Chizuru-chan"

"Saying things like that isn't funny, _bella"_

Takumi-kun was giving her a grossed-out look and Ayame couldn't help giggling. The giggling evolved into a hearty laugh. He was making such a funny expression and she couldn't take it. Somewhere between constipated and nauseous. Between taking deep gulps of breaths to quell her funny-bone, Takumi-kun got up from his seat, heading towards the kitchen. By the time he came back, he brought with him a bottle of her favourite peach flavoured iced-tea. Meh, forget coconut water, she'll always like her sugary drinks best. A sudden and sharp coldness scrapped against her cheek and her eyes flew open, she jumped in her seat with a squeak and the musical sound of Takumi-kun's laughter filled the apartment, laughing at her expense.

"Pressing iced-tea on your face never gets old" he chuckled.

Oh looky here~ He was now more confident _and mean._ Ayame rolled her eyes and she failed to suppress her smile as she swiped the bottle of ice tea from his hand. She ripped open the cap and chugged it down until there was only half left and gave the bottle back to Takumi-kun with a cheeky grin. It was his turn to roll his eyes and took the cap from her, screwing it tightly onto the bottle.

"Chizuru-chan mentioned something about him which sounded odd. She said Hayama-san was, in her own words: _'pathetically depressed about some shit at Tootsuki'_ " Ayame produced the inverted quotation marks with her fingers in the air.

"What does that mean?"

"Apparently he looked really depressed and was asking her these… philosophical questions about _sacrifice._ Or something along those lines" she continued. "Does that mean anything to you?" asked Ayame.

Takumi groaned. "Nope. All I know about Hayama is that he turned his back on us and joined Azami's cause. Enough, about Tootsuki again. All I want to know is what made you smile today, _bella_ "

She couldn't resist his cheesiness. Takumi-kun was being unbearably cheesy and it her insides feel all warm and fuzzy.

"I did well in the pop-quiz today. I guess that was worth a smile" she grinned from ear to ear. She was melting inside and she loved it.

"I think that deserves a celebratory cheesecake" said Takumi-kun.

"Cheesecake?! You're going to make me Cheesecake _now?"_

Ayame leapt up out of the couch and flung her arms around Takumi-kun's neck. He yelped and stumbled backwards, but his hand sprung out and grabbed onto the back of the sofa to steady his legs. She dangled from his neck ignoring his protests to let go, otherwise she might hurt herself if they both crashed to the floor.

"Chocolate Cheesecake? Can I have chocolate cheesecake? Yeah? Yeah?" Ayame followed Takumi-kun who was escaping into the kitchen to get started before Ayame could bite his head, mistaking it for cheescake. Good move, otherwise she would've tackled her boyfriend again in her sugar-high excitement.

" _Si! Si!_ Please let got _bella,_ I need both my arms to make cheesecake!" he panicked, trying to wrangle himself free from her flapping arms.

Ayame suddenly got an idea.

"And after cheesecake, can we…" she sidled up to him and went on the tips of her toes.

She whispered in Takumi-kun's ears.

He dropped the bag of biscuits on the kitchen counter with a deep thud.

"T-T-Tonight?! B-But you have s-school tomorrow!"

His face was brimming with beetroot redness, just as she predicted. She bit her lips through her huge smile and twisted her arms behind her back, leaning forward ever so slightly. Her eyes said 'pretty please' with added effect of fluttering eyelashes.

"It's not f-fair when you're l-looking at me like th-that…"

"Please"

"Okay… but don't complain if I get carried away" he mumbled. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, before picking up his bag of biscuits again. Ayame jumped up and down, pressing her hands to her cheek, holding in her squeal.

"You don't need to worry about any complaints coming from me". She parked her behind on the kitchen stool, eager to watch Takumi-kun work his magic on her celebratory chocolate cheesecake.

" _Did I hear cheesecake earlier?"_

"Oh Isami-kun! You're back"

Right on the dot, the jovial voice which belonged to Isami Aldini emerged from the balcony. He pushed the sliding door closed with a loud click and enveloped Ayame into a great big bear hug. The tall boy's hair was touselled by the wind, as it always was and his cat-like blue eyes glittered brightly. He was gone for a long time out there. She bet that he too had a lot of news to tell Bianca-san.

"Yep. Takumi-kun is making me chocolate cheesecake because I scored really high on my pop-quiz today" said Ayame.

"That's what I thought" laughed Isami-kun.

"You always seem to finish your phone dates just in time for whenever Takumi-kun is making me dessert" Ayame smirked at him.

"Do I? It must be the twins-link I share with _Fratello_ since birth. I kind of know what he's up to and what he's feeling without asking. If he's making _dolce_ , trust me, I'll always be around. If he's found out I've eaten the pudding-cup he was saving, he won't find me for the rest of the day"

Ayame bursted out laughing. Isami-kun was a hilarious guy!

"Hey _Fratello,_ why is your face all red? Awwww Ayame-chan… Did you pinch him on the butt again~?"

" _SHE DID NO SUCH THING!"_

* * *

It was already three days since Yukihira-kun challenged Hayama-kun.

Isshiki regretted not being able to watch the match between Souma-kun and Hayama-kun today. The Survivor's Purge continued on like the march of time, but only there was an end. Souma-kun found another RS who was struggling to make ends meet and it was the **Wild Game RS.** It was almost as if Souma-kun didn't care which RS played to his strengths or anything since he was pretty much an all-rounder. Souma-kun saw an RS that needed help and so, he would help them. Simply that. He signed his life away onto the contract and became an official member of the Wild Game RS. Not really signed his life away. Every RS member had to meet a minimum three months contribution to the club, and after that they could quit if they wanted. The theme he chose was bear meat.

 **Bear meat** out of all things.

Isshiki-kun could only laugh. Yukihira Souma knew nothing of bear meat. The fact that he didn't know anything about its properties, let alone cook it got him all excited just to learn more for the _shokugeki_. There was a huge selection of game meat he could've chosen that he was more familiar with, but the maverick picked out the most interesting and exotic one of the bunch. A small part of Satoshi couldn't be prouder. What was the point of cooking something from within one's comfort zone and playing it safe when there was a wealth of all sorts just beyond the horizon to test out? A larger part wanted to tut at Souma-kun for taking a huge risk and gambling the future of the Game Cuisine RS by picking one of the hardest game meats to handle, when he _should_ be playing it safe.

According to the wild-game master Yoshino-kun, bear meat generally had an unpleasant odour, but that depended on the quality and season. It needed more caution than deer or boar when using it. On first impressions, bear meat looked like lamb. Very red, but far lighter than venison and darker than most pork. Closest match would be the darkest part of a high-quality pork shoulder. Preparing this unique ingredient necessitates the chef to remove that odour and in doing so would require ingenuity at every stage of the process. From seasoning, or parboiling, all the way to flavouring. For example, something like...

 _'...Spice. It will be an uphill battle for Souma-kun. It's completely in Hayama-kun's domain'_

Satoshi quietly tapped away on his laptop for his latest assignment. Designing recipes for texture-modified Japanese dishes for patients with mild to severe oropharyngeal dysphagia, otherwise known as 'swallowing disorders', without compromising the enjoyment of food. The library around this time was pretty much abandoned as the whole school was either packed in Block A for Souma-kun's and Hayama-kun's _shokugeki_ or Block B in Nakiri-kun's and Kusunoki-kun's _shokugeki_. It was a huge event. It was increasingly hard to separate the thoughts needed to complete his assignment from what his _kouhais_ were up to.

If Souma-kun had concentrated too much on the spices, he would have ended up falling short on thinking about how the bear meat would blend with the other ingredients too. Also, if he had been spending all his time thinking about how to obliterate the stinky smell of bear meat, then he risked compromising the unique flavours of bear. After all, taste was composed on seventy percent of scent. At least his _kouhai_ didn't need to worry about the carve of meat as Tootsuki would be providing the best carve of the season by grade-A hunters, therefore there shouldn't be any bad smells coming from it. If Souma-kun was unfortunate enough to end up with bear meat that was odorous, it reflected more on the hunters lack of skill than anything. Satoshi continued to contemplate that Tootsuki might perhaps be producing marbled bear meat as Autumn is when bears start to forage food in preparation for winter hibernation. During the past few days, Satoshi tried to leave him alone as much as possible, allowing him go through numerous trials and errors. Souma-kun had realised he had no idea about bear meat as an ingredient and he had no choice but to go back to studying. Students were forever studying, no matter what vocation they've picked.

 _'He's very lucky he has the talented Nakiri Alice, Mito Ikumi and Yoshino-kun on his side'_

Nakiri Alice allowed him to use her private kitchens to experiment with all the latest technology at his disposal. Mito-san was very adamant put him in touch to the best bear-butchers in the Japan. Yoshino-kun was eager to give him mini-lectures about handling game-meats in general. After consummately and perfectly understanding the innate characteristics of the ingredients, Souma-kun was on the right path.

 _'No... there is no right or wrong path. Only the path you choose and the answer you create for yourself to deal with obstacles in your path'_

The former seventh-seater wondered if Souma-kun was going to use either the paw or thigh meat, as those were the best parts of the bear.

He also regretted not having enough time to witness Nakiri-kun's and Kusunoki Rentarou's _shokugeki_ too. He didn't have much thoughts for Nakiri-kun's match since she was sure to win anyway.

Satoshi resumed reading the research article he pulled up, adament that he needed to finish this by the end of the afternoon. He was now completely on his assignment when a hand tapped him on the shoulder.

Hmm?

"Isshiki-san. Azami-dono requests your presence in his office immediately"

Were Director Azami's security always going to be the ones needing to speak with him? He closed his laptop, putting it to sleep before regarding the black-clad security fully.

"What does the Director want? I've already vacated my position and handed over all my duties to the current seventh seater" he simply said.

"Don't get snippy with me. Azami-dono order you to come and you go with no questions asked. Do I make myself clear?" grunted the security.

"Perfectly" replied Satoshi with a harmless smile.

He packed up his things, making sure everything was accounted for before the imposing security marched him out of the library.

"Ah, come in Isshiki-kun"

Director Azami was standing by the window, looking out into the autumn leaves rather than sitting in his over-large seat for a change. But the man himself had not changed and was the same sickingly-charming viper he knew him to be. He waved his security away, who bowed deeply before leaving the office, closing the door with a soft click

"You wanted to see me?" Satoshi wanted to get straight to the point.

"Yes. It's about my daughter. I won't beat around the bush. Three days ago, my men had informed me that she had arrived through the front gates of Tootsuki, accompanied by Alice, Arato-san and Kurokiba-san"

Azami-dono slid the tips of his leather gloved fingers long the window sill and nonchalantly inspected what could be dust dotting his expensive glove. His eyes were down-cast as he spoke to Satoshi. The auburn haired student kept his breath even and rhythmic as much as possible.

"I am aware. I believe they went on a shopping trip together, according to Fumio-san. I couldn't say _when_ exactly in the day they did, as I've been busy sorting up left over work" he replied.

"I see. Explain to me then, how it is possible that Erina was not spotted by anyone or by any surveillance cameras _exiting_ the campus at all on that day, and yet they just waltz through the front entrance, just like that. Did they decide to _teleport_ out and then fancied coming back in the normal way?"

He finally turned towards Satoshi, casting a long shadow onto the desk. He was making fun of Satoshi, his dark and dismal eyes goading him to falter, trying to catch him out by insulting his intelligence.

"I don't know, sir. Perhaps they used a different entrance" he replied. Satoshi wouldn't take the bait. He was better than that.

 _"All entrances are under surveillance. My security are my eyes"_

The Director sauntered around the large, old oak table until he was standing in front of it. He perched on the edge and crossed his arms over his chest. He was dressed all in black again, as if it was the sole colour in his wardrobe. He sneered at Satoshi.

"I've had my team analyze all the footages inside and outside the school since my arrival just in case. Imagine my surprise when I was also informed that you were spotted a day after Erina left the manor, exiting the IT department shortly after Morimoto Mouza-san, the previous head of IT gets sacked. Very unusual for an Elite Ten as yourself. Sorry. _Was_ as yourself to be visiting the IT department in person, rather than use your aide"

"My aide was ill on that day, so I took it upon myself to complete her duties and sort out a problem that cropped up regarding Tootsuki RS databases, which was part of our QI project. Luckily, Morimoto-san was still there to help me"

Satoshi had prepared himself for the day Azami was onto him, but he didn't think it would come that soon. The hair on the back of his neck stood up on end as Azami's grin widened into a smirk. A very unnerving smirk.

"Shall I summon her and ask your aide myself?"

"If you wish, but I don't understand how me going to the IT department is related to Erina-sama's shopping trip""

Azami bent his face dangerously close to Satoshi. His pointed and aristocratic nose just a hairs breadth from his. His deep souless eyes stabbed his own blue ones and he couldn't tear his eyes away. They were held captive. He could feel Azami-dono stealing all his secrets his eyes. Satoshi was genuinely frightened. Seeing Azami up close like this did more than just intimidate him, it scared the daylights out of him. His starkly pale face accentuated his impossibly sharp cheeks and the tight grimness of his thin lips could only promise that things wouldn't end well for Satoshi.

 _ **"Don't you play games with me. Don't think for one second you're capable of that"**_

Satoshi jerked backwards sucked in his breath, but managed to keep his feet planted on the floor. That venom and anger was seeping like thick and putrid pus from cracks in his patience which was wearing dangerously thin.

"My daughter was never at Polar Star Dormitory was she? You organised her to be elsewhere away from the Nakiri manor, _away from me_ and you lied about it"

"Why don't you ask Erina-sama to confirm her shopping trip, Azami-dono. Your daughter couldn't lie to you, even if she tried"

"Don't worry, I will. And when I find out the truth, you all will pay for your insolence, including my daughter"

The threat was real. It was promise that Satoshi feared would definitely come true.

"And then I will find _all_ the people involved in helping her and make them regret the _thought_ of going against me. No matter who they are, or where they come from

 _No matter who they were? or where they came from?_

 _Polar Star?_

 _Kuchiyose-san?_

 _Arato-san's secret contact too?_

Satoshi clenched his teeth together and fought his hands to stay relaxed and stop shaking. Azami-dono leaned back. Gazing at Satoshi like Kami-sama about to smite the Earth. He kept his eyes concentrated on a tiny dot on Azami-dono's desk.

"I'll ask again Isshiki-kun. Where had Erina been all this time and _**what are you planning?"**_

* * *

 **Isshiki... you're about to get FUCKED.**

 **Ayame's getting cheesecake! Keep up the good work and you get more dessert rewards, because that's what Takumi is there for, the cuddly-personal chef :D Although I think Ayame would also appreciate more than just 'Takumi's desserts' kekekeke.**

 **Souma, you lovable dense gumnut! Where would SnS be without you! Also Hayama, Hayama, Hayama... Of course you'd sell your soul to the devil for power... or maybe you wouldn't. WHO. KNOWS.**

 **Don't forget to check out my poll and vote for your favourite OC characters in** **A Touch of Saffron** **! Ayame, Chizuru or Kuchiyose! And see what others have voted :D Also, if you have time, check out Chapter 2 of my other SnS story** **Medica Materia** **to find out what Erina and the gang had been up to during their escapade :) I should say it now, the stories are connected.**

 **Until next time, I'd love to know what you guys think!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	39. No Turning Back

_Chapter 39 – No Turning Back_

* * *

"Okay class! Remember, tomorrow we'll be starting our new history module and it will be on the Apartheid. And you know what that means~?"

" _CLASS WARS!"_

The whole class cried out in unison!

Ayame grinned from ear to ear, swept up by the excitement. She had to say, history class her second favourite, second to physics class of course. However, for most students it was their number one, and for good reasons too. Watanabe- _sensei_ was as unorthodox as could be, taking on a more interactive learning approach than most teachers in Karakura High school which appealed to students and yielded great results. Perhaps it had something to do with his education degree from America, studying a multitude of learning styles rather than the classic Japanese textbook work. 'Class wars' had Watanabe- _sensei's_ moniker all over it and it had all the other history class students from across the grade extremely jealous. They were like little orphans from Dickens, peering desperately into Watanabe-sensei's class windows, wanting to get in all the class fun.

How did 'class wars' work? There were always two sides to history and so, splitting the class into two opposing sides was one technique he used for the class to envisage the war. Hence the term: 'Class Wars'. Ayame also thought it was a fun and hip term for pretty much a class debate as well, only with a historical twist to it.

"Oh goody! I was hoping we'd get _class wars_ this semester!" Chizuru-chan stamped her feet in excitement and giggled into her overly-long sleeve. Ayame nodded, relieved that they'll have an extra bit of fun to break up the exam stress.

The rest of the class buzzed and chittered, excited squeals and whoops traveled up and down the room as their teacher wrote in big _Katakana_ script 'APARTHEID and POST-APARTHEID ERA' on the blackboard. Ayame quickly opened her notebook, ready to write down every single thing she needed to prepare for tomorrow's 'class wars'. What did she know already about the Apartheid?... Not that much, only it had something to do with racism in South Africa a while ago. She wondered if Takumi-kun learnt world history in Tootsuki too, or maybe their history module was restricted to only food related. Did Tootsuki even have a history module? She'd never even thought to ask…

"So!" Watanabe- _sensei_ slapped the chalk stick onto his desk. "Tomorrow is going to be the eleventh of February, 1990. Nelson Mandela has just been released from prison after spending twenty-seven years in jail. Then flash forward four years later, Mandela is elected the first black president of South Africa. I'm going to need someone to be Nelson Mandela. _Sagura-kun!_ You're going to be Nelson Mandela tomorrow"

Watanabe-sensei pointed at the boy teetering precariously on his chair at the back of the classroom. The brown-haired student startled at his name being called out and planted his feet back on the floor in time before his chair sailed backwards and he cracked his head open on the linoleum floor.

"Nelson Mandela, sir? I thought It was _'Morgan Freeman'_!"

"No, Sagura-kun! They are completely different people. Morgan Freeman is an _American actor_ "

"Sir! Sir! If Sagura-kun is going to be Morgan Freeman, can I be Matt Damon?"

" _Matt Dam-!?_ What's wrong with you boys?! We're studying the _Apartheid_ tomorrow, not _Invictus!_ "

"Yeah, but the _Invictus_ movie with Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon was during the _Apartheid_ "

"Well that's one thing you got right in my class for the whole year, Otowa-kun. I'll give you that…"

The class erupted in laughter at Sagura-kun's and Otowa-kun's expense. Ayame shook her head and suppressed her laughter. She would dare another student to say they had more fun in their own history class because Watanabe-sensei's history class was the best. She turned around and saw that Kuchiyose-kun was snoozing away behind her, unaware at the commotion going on with his head buried in his folded arms. At least those boys had _some_ notion on the topic, even if it came from an American movie. Chizuru-chan might have a copy of _Invictus_ with Japanese subtitles, so they could get a preliminary start and 'research' the Apartheid by looking at it in the context of a biographical sports drama film. That counted as 'research' right?

Suddenly the door swung open causing head to turn. Ayame craned her head over the other students and saw it was only _Nissan_ -kun and Furutani-kun. Why were they so late? Oh... don't tell her they were reading porn magazines again and lost track of the time. Luckily, Watanabe-sensei was prepared for the question as soon as they crossed the threshold.

" _Nissan_ -kun, why are you late?"

"Uh... _Wheel-chair?_ "

 _Nissan-kun_ snapped his finger to the wheelchair he had been sitting in since... well, since Ayame had known him in middle school. He lifted a thick eyebrow at their history teacher and crossed his butch arms together in silent admonishment, and as if it was the most obvious reason in the world. Ayame was proud to say that she had helped him customise his light-weight wheelchair to look like a hot ride back in middle school. It was spray painted in white and patterned with racing stripes on the back to boot. Ayame had installed custom headlights at the front and back of the wheel-chair for him as well, which he controlled with his phone-app. He had told her that her customisation was the only thing that made him feel being in a wheel chair was pretty boss, which he had never felt before as a child. Too bad his parents said no to the spiked hub-caps. About third year middle school, he had earned the nickname _Nissan-_ kun from the school much to his delight. It was his favourite brand of car.

Watanabe-sensei rolled his eyes "And you, Furutani-kun?"

"This thing doesn't push itself does it!" he too threw his arms towards his best friend in the wheelchair as if it was too obvious to miss.

Watanabe-sensei pulled another face which Ayame interpreted as asking himself _Kami-sama_ why he even bothered with those two misfits.

"Look... please, it's Monday morning and you two are already giving me a hangover. Just go to your seats"

The two hi-fived each other before making their way to the back of the classroom where the rest of their gangs were.

"Alright! Now for the lot of you, _this_ side of the classroom, you're all going to be the black South Africans. The _other side_ , you're all going to be the white South Africans. Do a general search on the racial division between those two groups and get ready to present your findings in 'class wars', representing your group tomorrow. Then we're going to start the _war_ " Watanabe-sensei sliced his arm in the air right above the middle line of the class.

"Yes _sensei!_ "

"And if I find out that _any of you little shits_ watched the _Invictus_ movie instead of doing proper research, I'm going to demonstrate the torture techniques from Guantanamo Bay using a fire extinguisher on Sagura-kun"

"Oi! Why me, sir?!"

"Because you started it. Class dismissed!"

Ayame scribbled the last words before shutting her book. Phew! Watanabe-sensei sure talked really fast when he was pissed off. She could hear Sagura-kun wailing in the rear, with this friends rubbing his back with absolute pity. She turned around again and gave Kuchiyose-kun a quick slap on the shoulder to wake him up. Right on cue, the lilac-haired giant lifted hid head and blinked the sleep from his eyes. He stretched his arms up high, gave a gigantic yawn and popped a few joints before resuming back into his lackadaisical self. Meanwhile Chizuru-chan beside her rolled her eyes and grumbled about something or other. She tore out a page of her own notebook and passed it to Kuchiyose-kun who took it with a small nod.

"You owe me ice-cream at _Meshina_ " said Chizuru-chan with a smirk.

Kuchiyose-kun smirked back. Ayame peeked over to see what was written and was pleased to see that she had jotted down the class notes and instructions for tomorrow's ''class wars for their sleepy friend. Welp, movie time with Chizuru-chan flew right out the window. It looked like she'll be staying up a bit later than usual to squeeze in some preparations for tomorrow. As the classroom noise began to rise again while the students packed up their belongings, Ayame's thoughts drifted towards Takumi-kun again. She wondered how his day was today. If he's learnt any new cooking techniques, if he's come up with a new 'Aldini-styled' recipe or—"

' _I forgot… he can't do things like that anymore…'_

Ayame sighed and bit the insides of her cheek. It was easy to lapse back into thinking Takumi-kun had a great time at Tootsuki, the same way as she did with her classes when obviously it was far from that. Takumi-kun didn't have many things to tell her about Tootsuki except for what was happening with the Rebel Alliance's plan to overthrow Nakiri Azami, so all in all, things were still dark and dreary with a tad of sinisternes. Even then, such news were getting sparse. He was being overly careful not to talk too much about it because he didn't want to burden her with sensitive information and make her worry. It was times like these where Ayame just wanted to roll her eyes when his inner gentleman was over-exaggerating the seriousness of the situation. Maybe that was why he was always asking her about the smallest details of her day. He wanted to hear something ordinary, positive, light and amusing to make him forget about the incredible tension at Tootsuki. Takumi-kun even joked that Ayame had enough happy stories for the both of them and he was content to just hear about her day. Even if he did pester her for lots of details, that adorable Italian.

True. The happenings at Tootsuki weren't any of her business but knowing about it or not didn't stop the fact that she was still concerned about her boyfriend.

"Chizuru-chan, do you have work today?"

"Nope, Kojima-san's given me a day off. He's gone to visit his parents for the weekend"

"Oh? That sounds lovely" replied Ayame. The two girls bade Kuchiyose-kun goodbye as he walked in the other direction, towards the back-field for his after-school soccer practice.

"Best part about it is that I get a break from Terunori too" snorted Chizuru-chan.

Ayame grinned. Ahh… Terunori Kuga. The thorn in her best friend's paw. The bane to her existent. She could go on. It was a catastrophic nuclear fission reaction waiting to happen between those two. She had not a _single_ good word to say about Takumi-kun's _senpai_ and she made sure that was the case every time Ayame asked about her part-time work. Those two bickered and squabbled like an old married couple from what she could tell. Chizuru-chan had to be the only person she knew in the whole universe who complained about getting free spicy food and all-expense paid for café trips, even if they were against her will. Her best friend was very strange. It made Ayame wonder if buried beneath the cussing and the convoluted insults Chizuru-chan spat about him, she was hiding something so much deeper… so much deeper… Because it was so amusing that she always _blushed_ whenever she talked about Terunori Kuga. Ayame knew for a fact that Chizuru-chan didn't turn red for anyone, even if they angered the hell out of her. Then the other question was why Terunori Kuga-san was investing so much of his time, money and food to annoy Chizuru-chan? He made her, her _favourite_ spicy foods twice a week and forced her to take it, dragged her out to eat at _nice_ cafes at any given opportunity, and he plastered himself to her presence all afternoon.

The answer there was most obvious, yet it was the only subtext her best friend couldn't read.

' _Dating Chizuru-chan without her realising… Terunori-san sure is sly'_

"But you have to admit that Terunori-san's presence in the bookshop does add a bit of colour to your life, no?" said Ayame. It only earned her an irked response from Chizuru-chan.

"I've long ago just gave up trying to drive him out. You know, the other day he was mad at me…"

The two girls finally reached their shoe lockers. The students milling around, walking and rushing past them drowned out some of Chizuru-chan's words and Ayame had to lean in a bit closer to hear her. She detected a hint of both annoyance and resentment in her friend's tone and that befuddled her a bit.

"He said I smelt like a cinnamon bun and that he hates cinnamon buns"

Well that was unexpected…

"I happen to like your new cinnamon scent. Who would've thought rubbing a bit of ground cinnamon on yourself makes a good substitute for cinnamon perfume" Ayame said cheerfully, trying to bring back a lighter atmosphere.

"Tell me the truth… do you think I smell… _weird …_ with cinnamon?" asked Chizuru-chan.

Ayame blinked rapidly as she slipped on her outdoor shoes and replaced her indoor shoes into the locker. She was definitely caught by surprise. Was Chizuru-chan feeling _anxious?_ About the way she _smelled?_ She hadn't seen this side of her for a really long time. Not since when they both began as first years in Karakura high school. Chizuru-chan's face was lightly dusted in pink and was avoiding eye contact, trying to pass it off as nonchalance, but she could tell from the way how stiff her fingers were from gripping her book bag that she was really bothered about the 'smell' concept again and the way she smelled. Ayame tried to answer honestly.

"Ummm… it doesn't smell like _perfume_ , if that's what you're asking. I smells like you've been baking with cinnamon I suppose. Like cinnamon buns"

"Is that a good thing?"

"I guess it implies that… you didn't wash up after baking, so everyone probably thinks you've been baking cinnamon buns all the time and forgetting to shower. B-But I still like it!"

Chizuru-chan slapped her forehead. "Urghh! I knew this was a bad idea" The poor girl continued to groan and rub her hand all over her face in exasperation. She fell forward and banged her head against the shoe locker with a loud rattle. The students around them turned around and gave them both puzzled looks before getting on with their business. Ayame tilted her head trying to figure out what had gotten into her.

"Why so concerned about the way you smell all of a sudden?"

"As you know with congenital anosmia, I have a hard time judging if I smell nice or not. I look for cues like, am I wearing clean clothes? Did I brush my teeth long enough? What type of shampoo and soap am I using? What moisturiser am I using? Are people leaning away from me? That sort of thing"

"Yeah, I get that"

Ayame and Chizuru-chan slowly made their way out of the front doors and walked amongst the throng of students.

"Someone told me I'd smell better if I was wearing cinnamon…"

"Let me guess. You took that in the literal way"

"Well how am I supposed to take it?" Chizuru-chan fired back half-heartedly.

"Does this _person_ also happen to be Hayama Akira from Tootsuki?" asked Ayame.

The short-haired girl froze on the spot and Ayame had to back track. Oh this was too comical. Her eyes twitched with such incredulity that in a comic she was sure they would pop out of their sockets. Her arms were stuck to her side, as if she would shatter in a million shards if she moved even a millimetre. Her face slowly flushed until her cheeks were all rosy. What? Blushing not only at the topic of Terunori Kuga but _also_ Hayama Akira?!

"H-How did you know?!"

Ayame smiled serenely and beckoned her friend closer. Chizuru-chan moved stiffly closer and Ayame leaned in closer to her ear and whispered.

"Hayama-san also smells like cinnamon"

" _WHAT!"_

Ayame chortled and had to hold her stomach otherwise she would burst! Chizuru-chan flapped her long sleeves around, hitting her over the head and Ayame had to raise her arms to block them. She ducked and weaved when her best friend's actions got more frantic.

"When Takumi-kun took us to Tootsuki, and we saw our first _shokugeki_ beteen Hayama-san and Mito-san. Okay, you can stop it now Chizuru-chan" Ayame made a grab for her friend's arms but she got in a few more wild slaps before she stopped and stomped her feet, glaring murderously at Ayame. "I noticed that Hayama-san has this natural cinnamon scent"

"Wh-Why… would Hayama…" Chizuru panted as she regained her breath "Want me to smell like… cinnamon? Answer me that, you smart-arse"

"It could be for a number of reasons. I'd say the most probably was that he wanted you to have the same smell as he does" said Ayame as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

" _Why the fuck?!"_

Ayame smirked "To mark his territory"

She waited for the reaction and it didn't disappoint. Chizuru-chan flew back three metres and shrieked. Her face completely blew up and it might as well be the exact colour of blood. Ayame was having the _time of her life_. Getting reactions like this from her usually cool and unflappable best friend was rare. So she was happy to see that she was now getting under her skin so easily. Ayame crossed her arms and laughed madly at Chizuru-chan's expense.

"Really clever though if he knew you had congenital anosmia, and thus you'd never be able to tell that smell like him"

 _"What the ACTUAL fuck is that supposed to mean?!"_

Ayame pushed on "That's probably the reason why Terunori-san was mad at you the other day. You smell like another guy and he didn't like it"

Chizuru-chan was now on the ground with her knees and hands. Her book-bag dangled against her shoulder. She shook from over-exertion. Ah, maybe she was being too cruel today. This was obviously too much for her friend to handle. Chizuru-chan was an attractive girl, in a rough and spunky kind of way. She was far from the cute idols most girls in their school aspired to be. She maintained her individuality by keeping her hair cropped short at her chin and letting it flick out to give it some edge. She pushed her fringe back with her headband rather than trying to style it. She was also petite, therefore her school uniform often looked a bit big on her frame which Ayame supposed made her look smaller and dainty despite her big, sharp and spiky personality and her barbed, fully armed words. So she could be unexpectedly rip one to shreds in a heartbeat and ruin one's image of her. The Queen Bitch of Karakura High school could give full testimonials on how violent and crude Chizuru-chan could be. She still griped about her _Chanel_ perfume being poured down the sink by Chizuru-chan. Timid study-holic boys stayed away from her, but the foolhardy and rough boys might have a go to take her down a peg or two.

So was it so hard for Chizuru-chan to believe that there were brave boys out there who found her attractive?

"Putting ideas into my head like that... You think Hayama and Terunori... _l-l-l-likes_ _me!?_ Does _Vincenzo_ know you can be so diabolical?" Chizuru-chan cried out. The short girl took a deep breath and pinched her lips together into a sour accepted Ayame's helping hand as Ayame heaved her up and the two girls helped each other to dust their knees from the dirt.

"Of course he does" giggled Ayame. "He said it's one of the things he likes about me"

"Well you do learn from the best. You must make the Superintendent General of TMPD very proud" Chizuru-chan puffed out her cheeks.

"I suppose I do"

The two girls continued on their way, smoothly weaving and out of the mass of students.

"So what am I going to do with H-Hayama and T-Terunori now...?" Chizuru-chan groaned into her hands.

"Don't think too much about it. You'll know what to do when the time comes"

"What kind of shitty-arse advice is that?"

"The kind you get from a shitty-arse best friend"

Ayame gave Chizuru-chan a hug at the front gate. She grumbled and murmured a quick goodbye and a promise to give her a call this afternoon before parting ways. Her best friend lived in the opposite direction, so the two of them almost never walked each other home. Also Kuchiyose-kun stayed late for soccer practice the majority of the time. Therefore, on most occasions Takumi-kun and Isami-kun took it upon themselves to meet with her on their way back from Tootsuki and either walk her back home, or back to their apartment.

Ayame waved at Chizuru-chan before turning around and heading in the other direction. She pulled out her phone to see if she had any messages from Takumi-kun since then. Oh! There was one. He was talking about _shokugekis_ that were continuing to decimate RS clubs for the Survivor's Purge.

" _Kanda-san, it's a pleasure to see you again"_

Ayame flipped her head up at her name being called. She didn't recognise the voice. Her brows knitted in confusion and wariness as she stared at the person leaning against the brick wall of the front gate

"I-Isshiki-san?"

Was her eyes deceiving her? The tall auburn-haired boy was smiling at her so serenely and so happily. His eyes were crinkled up and dimples formed on his handsome face. She had only met him twice, when she came to see the Elite Ten reshuffle matches the first time, and when barging into his office with Takumi-kun when they spotted a suspicious person on Tootsuki grounds. She had no idea what happened to that competition. Takumi-kun said they shelved it and it was unlikely to continue. He was also the person who gave her passes to Tootsuki on Takumi-kun's request. His Tootsuki uniform was absolutely impeccable, the image of a president of a school committee. Not a wrinkle to be seen. Ayame dropped her hands to her sides, her phone dangling between her fingers. She wasn't expecting this at all!

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she approached him.

"I came to see you of course!" he said jovially.

Ayame darted her eyes around. Lots of students in school knew she had a boyfriend already as they often saw Takumi-kun and Isami-kun (which they were also aware was the younger brother) loitering outside waiting for her. She was already receiving stares and curious looks. She dreaded to think what rumours would stir up tomorrow just from an above-average looking boy she was acquainted with turning up out of nowhere, talking to her. She fought the sweat beading on her forehead.

"Oh okay. Thanks for visiting" Ayame bowed respectfully and Isshiki-san bowed back.

"How about we go to a quiet place. I want to have a chat with you" Isshiki-sam held out his hands respectfully, showing her the direction he wanted to take her.

Ayame narrowed her eyes at his hands. Suspicion crept under her skin. She remembered what Kobayashi-san said about him that one time. That he was capable of planning people's social suicide. She glanced back at Takumi-kun's _senpai,_ trying to figure out if there was something underhanded to this, but his face was the perfect mask of innocence. Well, he was sort of 'leading' the fight against Director Azami... so he should be 'okay'.

"Sure. I know a nice café we could go to" Ayame walked right passed him, not bothering to acknowledge his hand. She heard him chuckle lightly and he followed her until he walked with her side by side.

"So how was your day? asked Isshiki-san.

"It was fine. I had physics, literature, gym and history today" replied Ayame amiably.

"They sound like exciting classes"

As expected, Isshiki-san was great at small talk. That small talk continued all the way to Karakura Honchou where Ayame lead them to _Cafe Cioccolatini_. As soon as she pushed open her favourite café's door, a chorus of welcome greeted her. Saori-san the waitress waved at her enthusiastically and took her and Isshiki-san to her favourite spot, which was towards the back. Saori-san was always trying to get her to work part-time as a waitress ever since she and Takumi-kun rescued their café during their first proper meeting together. It felt like a million years ago and yet, they always talked about it when she and Takumi-kun stopped by for their afternoon date. What an adventure for their first proper meeting! Next, head chef Jirou would appear through the double doors, trying and beckon Takumi-kun to also come work for him on the weekends, which Takumi-kun had to always politely decline as international students weren't allow to do any work, part time or full-time, as it violated the conditions on their study visa. Head chef Jirou understood, but always made a point to her boyfriend that the position of part-time chef was always there if he wanted some extra cash-in-hand.

"Oh! Where's Aldini-kun today?" asked Saori-san as she handed them the café menu.

"He's staying back at Tootsuki today for an… assignment. Oh! This is Isshiki Satoshi. Takumi-kun's _senpai_ and friend" Ayame smiled, gesturing towards Isshiki-san who stood up and bowed to Saori-san. The waitress blushed and hurriedly bowed too.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance" beamed Isshiki-san. Ayame mentally wished he could dial down the good-boy demeanour.

"L-Likewise" spluttered Saori-san.

Ayame ordered a _focaccia_ and Takumi-kun's auburn-haired senpai ordered a _penne carbonara_. Ayame took the moment to analyse Takumi-kun's _senpai_ while they waited for their food. He was just simply leaning back against the chair, looking around at the décor of the trendy café. His back was perfectly straight and he exuded an aura of harmlessness. Just friendly and benevolent. Ayame felt that being around him put her at ease now. His eyes were an astonishing blue as well. It was like ice. While Takumi-kun had lovely round eyes, Isshiki-san's eyes were more slanted like a cat.

Ayame had seen those eyes before, it was when _Otou-san_ was watching his surroundings.

' _He's being very careful about something… but what?'_

Ayame leaned back and placed her hands in her lap. "What was it you wanted to chat about?" she asked.

Isshiki-san turned his head back to her and leveled her with all his attention. His blue eyes were eerie and very piercing. It was like it was cutting her with lots of tiny paper cuts. It slightly unnerved her, especially with that gentle smile on his lips. So much for feeling at ease now.

"How much do you know about what we're doing at Tootsuki?" he asked.

"We?"

"The Rebel Alliance" he clarified.

Ayame's heart thumped. She had to be very careful with her answer right now. She had to choose the correct words to show that she didn't know _that much_ otherwise it looked like she knew _too much_ about their affairs. The leader of the Rebel Alliance shouldn't be someone to trifle with no matter how sweet and gentle he looked.

"W-Well… not a lot. Takumi-kun's said that it's possible that Director Azami… _p-poisoned_ his wife with umm… _hemlock_ sixteen years ago _?_ As part of his plan to t-take over Tootsuki? _"_

Isshiki-san smiled wider.

' _Oh way to go Ayame! So much for choosing the right words! Now he thinks I know too much and will probably want to cut me off from Takumi-kun!'_

Ayame mentally beat her own head. She really couldn't get her mouth running correctly in stressful times like this! Here it comes. He was going to be all _The Godfather_ on her and in a deceivingly nice way to tell her to back off and stop asking Takumi-kun questions about their plans for Tootsuki, otherwise he would have her _'taken cared of'_ if she didn't quit it!

"Kanda-san, why do you look so nervous?"

"Eh? Oh um… j-just that—"

"I'm glad you knew at least this much. It will make it easier for me to explain" he said.

Saori-san came back with her _foccacio_ and Isshiki-san's _penne carbonara._ He said a quick _itadakimasu_ before he dug in. Ayame suddenly didn't feel so hungry anymore and just nibbled at her afternoon meal.

"The room where Senzaemon-dono's daughter and Nakiri Erina's mother, Nadeshiko-sama, was residing in during her illness had been sealed shut for the past sixteen years. Nobody, even the maids are allowed to step foot in it to clean since her death"

Gross… sixteen years? Ayame thought of all the musty and murky things growing in there and how stuffy it would smell in a room that was full of sickness and death, untouched for over a decade.

"He sealed it off in his grief as a way of preserving the last remnants of his daughter" continued Isshiki-san.

Ayame kept silent and slowly at her _focaccia._ She didn't know what to say to that.

"I suppose that also works to our advantage"

Hold up… Advantage? What advantage? Ayame stopped chewing and gave Isshiki-san a quizzical look. He smiled and chuckled at her facial expression and Ayame narrowed her eyes. She didn't like being made fun of in any situation and continued eating, staring at him with suspicion.

"Our theory is that Azami-dono poisoned Nadeshiko-sama with hemlock, as Aldini-kun has informed you. But we have no actual, physical proof that he did"

Ayame nodded, following closely but not really knowing what Isshiki-san was going with this. His face didn't betray a hint of concern or that this conversation they were having was quite awkward for a casual meeting in a lovely café. They were discussing a _murder case_ for Kami-sama's sake!

"That's where you come in"

A mouthful of bread immediately lodged in her windpipe and Ayame, with all the grace in the universe, coughed and spluttered all over the table.

" _What!"_

After yelling rudely at Takumi-kun's _senpai's_ face, she grabbed her glass of water and chugged it down to get her throat nice and refreshed again. She gingerly placed her Italian sandwich down and wiped her mouth with the serviette. Tears stung her eyes as she still felt bits of food still clinging above her vocal folds. Today was just not her day. This, _this_ had to be a goldmine of twisted luck. Isshiki-san continued to eat his pasta like nothing happened, smiling away like an imp.

"I don't u-understand" Ayame had enough of her food and just placed her hands back on her lap, staring at the sad half of her sandwich.

"I want to search for physical clues in Nadeshiko-sama's room that could help prove it was indeed hemlock poisoning, or any other murder weapon that could've been used, and Alice had told me that you are in possession of police equipment, including a small _remote controlled drone with a mounted camera"_

Ayame stiffened.

"Yes it's true… _Otou-san_ works in the police force and he sometimes brings home broken police equipment or models they don't use anymore, like polygraph machines and stuff. He gives it to me to fix and play with. The particular drone I have is a _mini stealth drone_ which I've recently fixed up"

Ayame and Alice-san emailed each other sometimes, discussing about the latest scientific findings in both the culinary and engineering world. They sent each other research articles to read over and presented their opinions to each other. Sometimes the email threads ended up squabbling over different views, but in the end they always respected each other's scientific minds and kept having friendly debates. In one of those email threads, Ayame remembered they were talking about their own private lives and she mentioned she liked to fix broken pieces of electronics and one of them was a remote controlled mini stealth drone

" _ **Do you think you and your drone could help us?"**_

What.

The.

Hell?

That was a massive bomb. That was a huge ask. It had to be breaking numerous laws! Ayame chewed on her lip as the full weight of what he was asking her bared down on her shoulders. Are the Rebel Alliance really that desperate?! Isshiki-san couldn't possibly be understanding what he was asking of her, but there he was smiling away as if he just asked to borrow her pen. He was asking her to send a decommissioned mini police drone into a dead-lady's room to look for _clues._ Only a deranged conspirator, not a high school student should be asking this. This was utterly crazy. It went from zero to a hundred in a blink of an eye. Did Takumi-kun know Isshiki-san was asking her for this huge favour? What would Takumi-kun had to say about this?

"I don't—"

"Aldini-kun doesn't know I wanted to proposition you with this. However, feel free to talk it over with him. Take your time. At the end of the day, I hope it will solely be your decision" said Isshiki-san. He smiled at her reassuringly and continued to finish off his pasta, while Ayame's _focaccia_ was still half finished.

' _My… decision? As ludicrous as it sounds, I guess before I could make a decision, I need more information'_

"How would the plan work…" asked Ayame.

"The room is locked of course. It's doors have been painted over to look like an elaborate mural. It is between Senzaemon's guest room and the main part of the manor. There are maids that walk past every day to get from one end of the Nakiri manor to the other. Alice-san's boyfriend, which is also your close friend, Kuchiyose Byakko is well versed in picking locks, as I'm told. He said he would agree to do it if you agreed too"

' _Well of course Kuchiyose-kun wanted sign up for this…'_

Ayame nodded for Isshiki-san to keep going.

"Alice-san and Kuchiyose-san would make an appointment to see Senzaemon-dono for an approximately one-hour social visit and properly introduce Kuchiyose-san as her boyfriend to her esteemed grandfather. He would have lots of questions to ask of him and his suitability to Alice-san. This would give them a reason to be walking along that corridor".

Was it just her or was Isshiki-san also using Kuchiyose-kun's and Alice-san's relationship to his advantage? What a wicked guy.

"On the way to meet Senzaemon-dono, Kuchiyose-san will pick the lock, and Alice-san will place the drone inside and close the door again. During this time, you would be controlling the drone and search for clues. After the one-hour meeting, Alice-san and Kuchiyose-san will pick up the drone, relock the room and be on their way with whatever findings you have"

"Why can't it be an actual person searching the room?" asked Ayame.

"A person would make too much noise, as the walls are thin. Also, it hasn't been clean in sixteen years, so I don't think it will be good for anyone's health to be in their for a prolonged period of time"

Ayame nodded again and digested the information.

"I have a few reservations…"

"Tell me"

"This _theory_ you have about hemlock poisoning. Isn't it based just purely on _one_ person's logic? Like, this contact of Arato-san, you don't even know this person. How could you trust what they say? They don't have a base for that deduction except for just _knowing_ the combination of symptoms Nadeshiko-sama had was symptomatic of hemlock poisoning. Sorry, for saying, but it sounds completely mad!" asked Ayame.

That was when she realised that she hadn't voice these opinions to Takumi-kun at all, that their plan and their theories were absolutely madness.

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, _however improbable_ , must be the truth. Arato-san is a close and personal friend of Erina-sama. She trusts her contact, whom she claims is an expert in their field, therefore we trust her"

Ayame chewed her lip in thought again. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was it? Isshiki-san was a well-learned individual and wasn't budging at all, and it was exactly what Takumi-kun said the last time they talked about this.

"What if I don't find anything?" asked Ayame.

"At least we tried"

' _At least… we tried'_

Isshiki-san was going through tremendous lengths to bring justice to the Nakiri-family and was even willing to disturb the peace and unlawfully search and ransack the room of the dead daughter of the grieving father. _And get her to do it_. She was seeing the love this boy had for his school and for the students of Tootsuki. He would go this far to get rid of the monstrosity of Nakiri Azami.

"If anything happens. You will take full responsibility?" demanded Ayame in a stone cold voice.

"Of course"

"One last question. Does Polar Star pack a swiss army knife they they don't mind ever seeing again?"

"I think so _…_ in our medical kit" Isshiki-san rubbed his chin in thought. "Why do you ask?"

"I want it. My mini-stealth drone probably needs to bring back physical clues one way or another. It's going to need an upgrade, don't you think?"

* * *

"No! _Assolutamente no!_ "

"Takumi-kun, calm down"

How could he calm down?! How dare Isshiki-senpai go behind his back and try to lure his girlfriend into this! The blonde Aldini couldn't even begin to express how mad he was. This was the Rebel Alliance affair and his _senpai_ had no right to get others involved, especially Ayame. He could ask everybody else on the planet to be an accomplice for all he cared. At first he was pretty concerned about Kuchiyose-kun giving a helping a hand, as he was now his friend also, but he eventually let it go. But to ask Ayame to participate? That was where he would build Great Wall of China!

Takumi paced up and down the living room furiously, his hands folded behind his head as he tried to walk off the steam. His body was full of pent up frustration and it was making every drop of his blood chase each other up and down his veins. He yanked his tie loose because he was starting to feel choked up and then he ruffled his hair, free from the styling he did this morning. Ayame sat cross legged on his sofa, biting her thumb nail, staring at the opposite wall with an exasperated expression. This was why did didn't want to talk about Tootsuki with her anymore, so that she could be as relatively far away as possible from this black cloud of misery. And how the _Diavlo_ did Isshiki-senpai know that she even had decommissioned police equipment sitting in her closet?! That didn't matter, he could've found out a number of ways.

The most important issue was stopping Ayame from dirtying her hands. He didn't want to think what could happen to her if they were found out and Director Azami targeted his _amore._ He wasn't above destroying anyone's career, no matter how young they were or what field they aspired to get into. He had _that_ many connections and his soul was _that_ black.

"Okay, you are not going to take part in any of this. _Comprendere?_ "

"It's still my decision to make. It's a remote control mini stealth drone, so I could be three football fields away and control it. I wouldn't be anywhere near the manor"

Takumi wanted to throw something at the wall. Why was his girlfriend so stubborn at a time like this? Ayame wasn't the type to bend into anyone's words and would always weigh her options carefully, so Isshiki-senpai must've prepared a full power-point presentation with at least twenty-slides and a really good award-winning speech to suck her in. He wanted to be angry at Ayame, but he couldn't. The truth was, he could never be angry at her, especially when she felt she had to do something to help him. That was the worst part. She shouldn't feel the need to help them. He was _livid_ at Isshiki-senpai.

"I know you're thinking that Isshiki-san _tricked_ me or something to help him, but he didn't. He didn't need to"

Takumi peeked from behind his hands to look at her and she was now standing up with her fists on her hips. Her long silky black hair laid across her shoulders in delicate waves, as she had pulled it out of her braid. In a perfect afternoon, he would be running his fingers through it, but it wasn't their perfect afternoon. Her grey school skirt was tight around her waist, making her school blouse balloon up. Her burning forest green eyes were glaring pits into him and her beautiful lips were twisted into a stern frown.

' _Scary how she knows what I'm thinking…'_

Takumi straightened himself out and smoothed down his school shirt to preserve the last remnants of his self-control before he flew off the handle. He strode towards the kitchen and he unbuttoned the first button around his collar. It was getting heated up in here despite the cool Autumn season.

"Doesn't the drone have serial numbers on it? If it gets caught, couldn't it be traced back to the police department and eventually you?" he attempted.

"I'll scratch the numbers off" she countered.

"What if somebody catches it and trace the signal back to your laptop? Like Mimasaka?"

"I can abort all connections permanently deactivate the drone remotely"

"Don't drones hum and make noises? What if somebody hears it?"

"It's a mini _STEALTH_ drone"

"WHAT'S WITH YOU AND YOUR PERFECTLY IRON-CLAD REASONING?!" Takumi screamed.

It was a good thing that he made sure he got behind the kitchen counter before he mustered the guts to scream at her from the _all the way on the other side_ of the apartment. _Dio_ forbid what part of this body Ayame would cut off of him if he had the audacity to actually yell to her face. He prepared himself to duck behind the kitchen counter before Ayame threw her shoes at him. Instead, she slowly turned around and even more slowly walked towards him.

He took a step back

She kept coming forward.

He did this until his back hit the kitchen sink.

Finally, Ayame was toe to toe with him and Takumi turned his head to the side, his face fully flushed all the way down to his collar. He was a heated mess. He didn't want her to see his face and didn't want to look at her, for fear that he would unravel in front of her. He shivered when he felt her breath brushing across his collar, all warm and cool at the same time. It was deliciously torturous! His hands immediately gripped the edge of the sink to steady himself and he felt his muscles coil and tingle at her close proximity. He sucked in a breath through his flaring nostrils and it made him feel all dizzy from her raspberry scent. _Dio mio_ , he waited with bated breath what Ayame was going to do next. Hit him? But no, she went onto her toes and gently touched his cheek with her slender fingers and turned his head to look into her deep green eyes.

One look and he knew that she wasn't going to change her mind. She was going to do everything to help them, whether he liked it or not.

Ayame pressed a soft kiss to his quivering lips and Takumi fell apart like he knew he would. Takumi slowly moved his lips against her, brushing lightly nice and slowly until he felt himself lean forward and dug his lips further into her. His head dipped down to catch as much of her soft lips as he could. His frustration petered away as he completely focused on Ayame. His hands left the sink and wrapped themselves around her. A small sigh escaped her as his lips hungrily trailed down to her jaw before returning back to her lips. He dipped his tongue between her teeth, scraping them along the roof of her mouth. His mind melted as he abandoned himself to his instincts. Takumi pulled Ayame's body up against his, his hand buried deep into her hair stroking and grasping as he devoured her whole. His _amore_ slid her arms up and around his neck, pulling him down further as they continued to kiss each other _so hard_ that their teeth were clashing. His blood began to pool in his lower gut and a groan threatened to spill from his throat.

Ayame pulled away, leaving him breathless.

"I want to help. If I can help to bring down a _monster_ that's taken control of your future, Isami-kun's future and your friends' future. I definitely will. Isshiki-san wouldn't have come to me if he didn't think I am capable of handling this"

It was like a moment of _de ja vu_ when Takumi was so adamant to distance himself from the Rebel Alliance for his and Ayame's sake, and his _amore_ threw it all back into his face. How could he throw it all back in her face too? It was impossible. This was potentially the _only chance_ they had to try and prove that Nakiri Azami murdered his wife and it tore him apart that she had to get involved.

Takumi gingerly gripped her shoulders and pushed her away a bit further so he could look at her. He cupped her beautiful face and gazed at her visage. Her lips were red and swollen, her beautiful green eyes were hooded and dark. Her cheeks were adorably flushed. He didn't remember a time he had loved Ayame Kanda as much as he did now. She closed her eyes and leaned her face into his palm and sighed in contentment. Takumi brought her face to his again and pecked her lightly on the forehead before enveloping his arms around her.

"As soon as Nakiri Azami even _breathes_ in your direction. You'll drop everything and stay away from Tootsuki, no matter what Isshiki-senpai says" he whispered between gritted teeth.

" _I promise"_

* * *

 **Takumi is so over-protective. Well, he tries to be anyway. Will Ayame's father find out what she'll get up to? Depends on how busy he is as the head at TMPD... or how interested he is with his daughter's social life...** **So, now Ayame's involved, the story is going to move long to solving the crime! Good luck Rebel Alliance. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU (I saw the opportunity and took it)**

 **Chizuru, you FINALLY know what the heck is going on around you! Let's see how she behaves around Kuga now that Ayame's planted a seed in her head.**

 **Do you guys remember Takumi and Ayame rescuing Cafe Cioccolatini back in Chapter 3 or 4? That's what Ayame was reminiscing about in this chapter. This was like Throw-back Thursdays for me hehe.  
**

 **Check out my poll and vote for your favourite OC Ayame, Chizuru and Kuchiyose! And see what others have voted too :)**

 **Until we meet again, I've love to hear what you think!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	40. A Way Out

_Chapter 40 - A Way Out_

* * *

"Is everyone in agreement with the plan?"

Takumi was definitely not, by default it was simply because Ayame pretty much sacrificed herself to Isshiki-senpai's _pazzo_ idea. What boyfriend would be supportive of that? Well he didn't have a choice anymore because no matter what he said or was going to say, Ayame put her foot down on her decision. Also she definitely knew how to distract him from firing back counter arguments… What was he ever going to do with his _amore?_ It didn't help that she took on multiple perspectives for the plan. _Dio mio… Uno_ : she wanted to help. _Due:_ she wanted to test run her patched up flying robot and collect data on its speed, distance function, adaptability, sensor abilities, processing time and whole bunch of other factors. _Tre:_ She wanted to practice her fine motor control for the joystick and the command pads attached to her laptop in an enclosed space. Takumi was suckered into her cheerful and beautiful face as she lit up like a Christmas tree as she detailed why she got a good bargain out of this. Somewhere in her noggin the pure engineer was scrambling out and leaking out of her ears. What could he say? Ayame was just Ayame.

"I suppose it's the only way" said Marui-san, nodding sagely.

 _"Yosh!_ It's about time we turned the tables on that marzipan dildo!" Yoshino-san fist pumped the air.

The other residents of Polar Star dispersed in small groups, breaking off in their own little conversations. Much of it to do with bringing justice back to Tootsuki and nailing Azami to a tree through the head and watch lice slowly crawl over his body, eating off the flesh in a slow and painful death. They were starting to get frighteningly creative in their fantasies, he noted.

"Aldini-kun, here's the Swiss Army knife Kanda-san requested from me" Isshiki-senpai held it out to Takumi, who blinked in confusion. Then it clicked. Oh yeah, Ayame mentioned that she wanted to modify her mini-stealth drone. She was going to take the swiss army knife apart, attach it and re-program the drone. He wondered what the end product would look like.

"Where's Yukihira?" asked Takumi, starting a new subject.

"He's kept to himself a lot more lately. Ever since he defeated Hayama-kun's bear meat challenge, I'm afraid" Isshiki-senpai nodded towards the stairs, with a gentle smile ever present on his face.

Takumi sighed.

" _Sul serio?_ That was last week. He should get over himself already. And he _won_ the match too, thus saving the Game Meat RS from dissolution, so he really shouldn't have anything to sulk about"

Isshiki-senpai leaned back on his chair and gave a non-committal shrug

"I've already told him that he did his best to convince Hayama-kun to come back to us, but he still thinks there was more he could've said. I guess Hayama-kun is too deep within Azami-dono's claws that there's no way back to the light. Azami-dono has probably punished him by now. Souma-kun feels responsible because he considers Hayama-kun his friend and rival"

Takumi furrowed his brow. He slipped the Swiss army knife into his jacket pocket then crossed his arms. It was almost as if Yukihira had forgotten he was supposed to be representing the Game Meat RS and could only instead focus on his tete-a-tete with Hayama. He was still annoyed by the fact that Yukihira had another rival. He huffed and pursed his lips. H He admitted it. He got jealous whenever Yukihira found competition in another student. Sue him. Takumi pushed his jealousy aside before it showed on his were more important going on and Takumi couldn't afford to be petty like back in the good ol' days. He wondered what punishments Azami subjected Hayama to. First of all, Yukihira Souma the face of the Rebel Alliance versus Hayama Akira the prodigious champion for Central. Such huge publicity and such huge humiliation in Centrals face would warrant punishment as heavy as _la luna_ itself.

It was such an epic defeat.

' _Then there's the odd mix of judges'_

Firstly, there was Nakiri Soue.

He was the eldest son of Nakiri Senzaemon and the founder of Nakiri International, meaning he was Nakiri Alice's father. Also the very same man who passed over his Directorship to his younger sister, Lady Nadeshiko sixteen years ago. He was nothing but stoic, serious and professional. His demeanour reflected his values for the food industry, the same way Senzaemon-dono did. His surprise entrance was certainly the unneeded shot of adrenaline. He was supposed to be here on urgent business with Tootsuki since his father was usurped by his disowned brother-in-law. _Grazie a Dio,_ that Isshiki-senpai was there to explain who that embellished Nakiri was to them as the Nakiri cousins were nowhere to be seen during the match. Takumi smelled trouble at as soon as he had a name to that face.

 _Dio mio,_ his face…

" _I mean, look at those eyebrows!"_

Takumi emerged from his thoughts at the sound of Yoshino-san's shrill cry. Isshiki-senpai turned his head towards her too. Dogs from the next town over could hear her.

"Those are _attack_ - _eyebrows._ You could take bottle tops off with those" She finally slumped over Marui-san's defeated shoulders.

Yoshino-san took a giant swig from Sakaki-san's rice juice. From the state of the orange-haired girl, she must've taken many swigs. Isami was with them as well but he was abstaining like a gentleman, opting for Tadokoro-san's chilled barley tea. That girl always had barley tea on standby, bless her heart. She sat by Isami, laughing nervously and ready to scamper to the other side of the dining table to assist her dorm-mate, should she pass out and crush Marui-san in her inebriated state.

Indeed they were talking about Nakiri Soue's _fantastico_ eyebrows. It was a pretty hot topic.

Takumi shivered. He could almost _feel_ those thick eyebrows touching him all over. He could call 'Batman' with those. He thanked _Madre Maria, Joseph, Cristo_ and the _Spirito Santo_ that Nakri Alice didn't inherit that particular genetic trait. He was sure she was thankful too. No matter how Nakiri Soue looked, those eyebrows made him look cross. Crosser than the rest of his face. They were independently cross. They probably wanted to cede from the rest of his face and set up their own 'Independent State of Eyebrows'! Takumi resolutely decided to sit a bit more away from the rest of the group, almost amongst the shadow. He watched Isami laugh and the other two male students he'd forgotten their names make fools out of themselves. Absolutely no decorum!

But that was exactly what they needed right now.

Something silly, fun and joyous to bring everyone together in this time of darkness.

"Did you see twiddle dee and twiddle dum?! They were so cute! I wish I was as cute as them~" Yoshino-san ditched Marui-san and latched herself around Sakaki-san's neck. She wept buckets onto her clothing and Takumi could've sworn she even wiped her nose on it.

"Therr, there Yuuki-chan. They'll soon grow out of their cuteness and puberty will strike. They'll eventually be covered in acne, have oily skin and wear heavy-duty braces" Sakaki-san patted her friend's back and refilled her rice juice like any best friend would.

" _Might_ I remind you that, that's the legendary Sheila and Berta Jørgensen you are talking about _"_ the curt and menacing voice of Arato-san did little to silence Yoshino-san as she continued to prattle about.

Arato-san was temporarily staying at Polar Star Dormitories. She came absolutely prepared with a full sized luggage case and camping gear. Somebody must have told her Polar Star was a dump, therefore she packed equipment to sleep outside incase outside was better. Apparently she was having issues with her own parents about the little runaway stunt she pulled a week and a half ago. She was dressed in simple and casual home clothes that still reflected her status as a noble child, but it was in good taste. She sat on the other side of Isami and had her arms crossed, clearly unimpressed by the orange-headed game meat specialist slandering employees of Nakiri International.

"Don't worry about it Hishoko" chirped Nakiri Alice. "I never liked those twins in the first place. They might not look it, but they can be real bitches when they want to. Ryou-kun, how do we say _'bitches'_ in _Dansk_ again?"

" _Tæver"_

" _Tæver!_ Exactly. Phew, I almost forgot the word _"_

"I doubt you've forgotten... you just want to show off" said Arato-san sarcastically.

Nakiri Alice and Kurokiba Ryou were visiting for the heck of it, unlike Nakiri Erina who was currently under house arrest. The Danish Nakiri sat at the end of their table with her aide, bantering back and forth with everybody. Takumi wasn't quite sure, but why wasn't Nakiri Alice spending time with her own father right now? He came halfway around the world after all...

His thoughts trailed back to Berta and Sheila. The young twin prodigies from Denmark, part of Leonora-sama's Research Divion at Nakiri International. They were also here as part of Nakiri Soue's entourage and therefore was also roped in to be guest judges for Yukihira and Hayama's match. Those girls looked no less than twelve in his opinion. In fact, the way they flaunted themselves and the 'cuteness' sickened him. It wasn't appropriate for teenage girls to behave like children in his opinion, especially at times when they tried to sexualise their cuteness to garner attention from him... _disgustoso..._ He had a hard time shaking them off. The twinkling in their eyes as they stared at him was scary. Yet another reminder that he was a good-looking guy with his own fanclub. He didn't do well with interacting with females he wasn't familiar with, so he tried to be polite as he could and decline them in a way that they wouldn't cry or make a scene. It didn't help that his classmates and Isami thought it was funny. He could still feel their tight grappling fingers puncturing his skin as they hung onto his biceps like monkeys.

' _They looked like they wanted to eat me...'_

"Aldini-kun, you seem to be in deep thought"

Takumi looked up to meet with Isshiki-senpai's sharp blue eyes.

"It's nothing"

"I know you're unhappy that I asked Kanda-san to assist us. But desperate times called for desperate measures"

"I'm not mad anymore. You don't need my persmission to talk to my girlfriend..."

Ayame briefly got the wrong idea. He didn't mean to sound like other guys required his permission to speak to her. Of course they didn't need to because Ayame was her own person! It was just the way he phrased his argument in the heat of anger that it came out that way to his _amore_. He crossed his leg and rested his arm on the back rest, the other hand fiddled with his glass of chilled barley tea. Except for that _stronzetto_ Izumo. The little shit that was Ayame's classmate. He scuttled around in the back of his mind from time to time, like an evil pantomime. It took him ages, but he got over it. Twenty missed calls on Ayame's phone just to ask questions about the library? _Get real._ He was obviously pining for Ayame, who was already off the market, and he was pretty sure the whole school knew anyway.

His and Isami's after-school visits certainly made sure of that. Those were the only times Takumi dared to kiss her in a crowed place, for the sake of making a public declaration that Ayame was his girlfriend. Of course he _actually_ wanted to kiss her too because he missed her... with the added bonus of grossing Namikaze out so she could vamoose. There might have been a silent tantrum or two on his part whenever Ayame had to stay back to actually help the _stronzetto_ , but Takumi like the gentleman he was, didn't intervene. But mainly because Isami always had a tight grip on the back of his shirt to stop him running after them and beating the _stronzetto_ with a garden shovel. So the act of Isshiki-senpai paying Ayame a visit and spending an afternoon with her wasn't actually as bothersome anymore.

"So kind, Aldini-kun. Most boyfriends would be pretty ticked off if another guy were to talk to their girlfriends behind their back" Isshiki-senpai smiled.

Takumi blushed "W-Well, you weren't doing anything indecent. A-And Ayame isn't stupid either. She'll know if something was up... And Namikaze could sniff if out a mile away..."

"I see. Anyway, I won't be in contact with Kanda-san anymore. My movements have been further restricted by Azami-dono and his security team is giving me lots of attention, as flattering as it sounds. I'll be relying on you to give her any messages from me"

"Fine" said Takumi. "Ayame wanted to let you know that her mini-stealth-drone will be ready in about two to three weeks since she wants to modify it and do preliminary test runs"

"Ah yes, I believe public school exam periods are over, that's perfect timing" said Isshiki-senpai.

Takumi had enough of spending time with Isshiki-senpai and merged with the rest of the group. Isami had caved under the pressure and was laughing loud and proud with Yoshino-san as she poured more of the famous rice juice into his cup. Takumi grinned, but refused the offer once the bottle was passed to him. He couldn't remember what happened the last time he had some but according to Yukihira, he was an over-emotional drunk. There was no way he was letting that happen again. Tadokoro-san left to coax the red-headed maverick down the stairs. Yoshino-san continued to be the drunken life of the party. She climbed onto the dining table and stood up. She swayed slightly as she tried to recapture her bearings from her dizzying new height. She cleared her throat and squinted at everybody.

"This… this _mess_ we're in… is a bucket of shiiiii~t. If Central throws… shit at us, we throw shit back at them. We start a shit-fight. We throw so much shit back at them that they can't _pick up_ shit, they can't _throw_ shit, they can't _do_ shit. WHO'S WITH ME?!"

" _YOSH!"_

Everybody except for Takumi and Isshiki-senpai were completely swept up by the intoxicating energy of Yoshino-san's winged motivational speech. Takumi was sure they hadn't considered what it was she was actually saying. If worse came to worse, then both he and Isshiki-senpai were on damage control. Before he knew it, Yoshino-san spun around and threw the empty bottle of rice juice towards the stairs. At that moment, Tadokoro-san was bringing Yukihira down who was trudging behind. He looked like he took a long nap and his golden eyes still had a sleepy sheen to them. Tadokoro-san dodged in time with a loud squeak and the half-awake Yukihira wasn't so lucky. Takumi watched in slow-motion with his jaw on the floor as Yukihira was promptly bowled over and tumbled down in a messy heap on the floor, with the empty bottle rolling away after it did its job to smack him in the head.

"SOUMA-CHII! You were supposed to get that~" cried out Yoshino-san.

" _Souma-kun!_ Are you alright?" Tadokoro-san knelt onto the floor beside his head, her hands hovering over him as she panicked.

"That hurt. I would've caught it if you threw me some soda instead" he laughed and winced in pain at the same time, now fully awake as he rubbed his noggin. Trust Yukihira to bounce right back.

"H-Here, Souma-kun. Let me get some ice for you" Tadokoro-san got up and quickly ran back to the kitchens and Takumi could hear her rummaging around in the freezer. Honestly, the bump on his head wasn't that big but Tadokoro-san would always be a worry-wart to the core.

Takumi rolled up his sleeves and went over to give Yukihira a helping hand, while Isshiki-senpai went to calm Yoshino-san down.

"Thanks mate. I think I've lost five years of my life"

Yukihira dropped Takumi's hand and dusted himself off. Despite the huge smile spread over his face and the cheeky chuckle, there was a hint of sadness and thinly veiled frustration in his golden eyes. Ah. He was only putting on a façade for everyone's benefit. He was still troubled by the fact that Hayama shot him down. Takumi knew that inside Yukihira was thrilled to have finally bested Hayama, but it wasn't the sweet victory he wanted because everybody knew Hayama wasn't giving his all.

"Man, I don't think I've been under this much stress for ages" Yukihira said as he and Takumi walked back over to the main dining hall table.

"What about the Hokkaidou promotions exam?" asked Takumi.

"Hmm. Nah, that wasn't too bad"

He sighed "You and I remember Hokkaidou very differently…" muttered Takumi as he rested his chin in his palm.

"Urgh… I wanted to get my revenge on him for the Autumn Elections last year" Yukihira suddenly buried his head in his arms as he hunched over the dining table. "I was so pumped that I finally got the chance to go all-out against him, circumstances aside"

He blinked with wide eyes at Yukihira. Takumi knew he was talking about Hayama, but this was rare. Yukihira never confided in him his frustration that's been dragging on forever. He usually brooded silently and lock himself in his own little world. He decided to just listen for now. He was good at that. At least, that's what Ayame said.

"And yet, he was focused on _everything_ except his dishes" Yukihira groaned as he lifted his head up and his eyes changed to become irritated. "I know that Shiomi Seminar is where Hayama belongs and yet he couldn't bring himself to fight for it. My win feels so frickin' _empty_ "

Takumi sighed as he turned his gaze out the window, staring at the dipping sun on the horizon. "Look Yukihira. People change, friend's leave, things go wrong. But life goes on. You did your best to change Hayama's mind and bring him to us after winning that match. Whatever decision he's made is his responsibility, not yours. It's up to him to pull himself up if he knows he's in the wrong"

Yukihira turned around and gave Takumi a hard stare, then his golden eyes crinkled.

 _"Pfft"_

"Wh-What?! Why are you laughing at me?!"

Takumi pushed his chair out with a loud screech to face Yukihira properly and banged his fist on the table. Yukihira narrowed his eyes with sparkling mischief and did nothing to suppress the grin slashed across his face. He showed a bit of civility for a few minutes to Yukihira and this was what he got?! There was nothing funny going on and he felt his ire rise along with embarrassment when there shouldn't be anything to be embarrassed about. One thing for sure was Takumi Aldini didn't like being made fun of! Finally, Yukihira settled down and wiped a stray tear from his eyes, keeping them locked onto Takumi's raging blue ones. His face felt like it was on fire and he was _this_ close to pummelling the red-headed chef.

"I was going to say that you've mellowed out ever since you got a girlfriend, but I guess the spastic Takumi still lives" sniggered Yukihira.

"Why you little—!"

 _CRASH! BANG!_

" _Yare, yare._ Look who's come to pay us a vis— _What's going on here?!_ "

The room quietened. The blonde Italian had knocked Yukihira onto the floor. Their chairs were toppled over and laid askewed. He straddled Yukihira's back with one arm wrapped around his neck and the other pushing on the back of his red head in a headlock. Tadokoro-san had finally come back with an ice-packet as her hands almost froze off from clutching the blue ice-packet too tightly. Takumi instantly paused his actions and looked up to see Fumio-san with her hands on her hips giving him a warning tut. Yukihira's fingers went limp from trying to wrestle Takumi off as he stared at his dorm-mother and the unexpected visitor behind her from the floor.

" _D-Doujima-s-senpai!"_ Yukihira spluttered.

"Well, I see that Polar Star hasn't changed at all" boomed the powerfully built man.

Chef Doujima was dressed in a tight, tailored suit. His broad shoulders barely fitted through the door frame of the dining hall. He carried with him a briefcase and a suit jacket hung over his arms. This meant he had just got back from something important, probably a sit-down with Director Azami. He strode into the room and his muscles flexed beneath his clothing as if it they had lives of their own. Takumi gulped and dropped Yukihira's shirt and the red-headed chef's head hit the floor with a soft bang. Another lump to add to is collection. Takumi scrambled off him and greeted the famous Tootsuki alumnus and former resident of Tootsuki with a deep bow. Chef Doujima's sharp brown eyes met with all the students as he nodded his acknowledgement to them. Last time Takumi met the man, he was awestruck. He was a very serious and straightforward person who treated every single student in the Rapport Building Training Camp in their first year like his own employee. True to Fumio-san's stories, he didn't tolerate failure. The dorm-mother also boasted a lot about him sending her cards for _Obon_ and _Shougatsu_ every year without fail, showing that he was dutiful in Japanese traditions and liked to keep in contact. Takumi had heard the story about Chef Doujima's great flexibility and defence for those he deemed worthy enough to stay at Tootsuki. Yukihira and Tadokoro-san had an unofficial _shokugeki_ match at the same training camp to win her place back into the school after failing Chef Shinomiya's class. _That_ was a story that hasn't made it to Chef Chapelle's ears, even till this day, _grazie a Dio._

Doujima Gin was a hard man to impress, so Takumi counted himself lucky that he was even within his field of vision when it came to his cooking prowess. He felt honoured whenever Chef Doujima spoke to him.

"Ah! Doujima-sama. It is an honour to see you again, sir" Arato-san rushed over and bowed. She had a blush on her face, clearly flustered to be seeing the famed alumnus again.

"Arato-san, Nakiri-san, Kurokiba-kun, I hope you've all been well" he smiled at the three non-Polar Star residents.

"Could be better. Right Ryou-kun?" chirped Nakiri Alice.

" _Ousu"_

"AHH! PAPER-PUSHING, TAX-DODGING ELITEST!" Yoshino-san sprang up and pointed ferociously at the surprised Chef Doujima! Except her finger was pointing far out to the side, meaning she was having double vision or something. Her face was beetroot-red and her snarl barely made it over her teeth as her glazed eyes flicked back and forth. She swayed dangerously from standing on top of the table.

"Yuuki! That's enough! Sakaki, go get her cleaned up and put her to bed. And no more of that rice juice" Fumio-san yelled.

The tough dorm-mother wrenched the drunk girl back into her seat and snatched her umpteenth cup of rice juice before she could take another rebellious swig from it. Sakaki apologised profusely and smiled nervously as she tried to wrestle the orange-haired student chef out of the dining room. She grabbed poor Marui-san on the way to help with the mission of tranquilizing Yoshino-san. Fumio-san planted her aging hands on her hips, tutting at her undisciplined brood. She glared at the rest of the Polar Star residents and guests, a frosty reminder to behave themselves in the presence of her favourite ex-student.

"You haven't visited me in a while, Gin. Here! Stay for some dinner, why don't you" said Fumio-san, changing her demeanor completely.

"Only if it doesn't inconvenience you" he said as he sat at the nearest chair. "Ah Yukihira. I've heard about the match you had recently with Hayama. Congratulations"

"Yeah… thanks"

Takumi quirked a quizzical brow. Yukihira turned his face away and was scratching his head, his eyes suddenly half lidded which came across as almost rude.

"What's the matter Yukihira, you look like you've got something on your mind?" said Chef Doujima.

Yukihira was pretty shit at hiding his emotions, Takumi came to know.

"Now that you're here and are probably the man with the answer. I want to ask how the Shiomi Seminar dissolved" said Yukihira.

"How did it dissolved, huh?" Doujima-san crossed his huge arms. He closed his eyes and his thick eyebrows folded down in a serious furrow.

"Did Hayama not battle with a Central guy for the continued existence of the Shiomi Seminar?" Yukihira continued. He picked up his chair and resumed his place at the table and Takumi followed. "I just can't get over how weird it is that he just quietly joined the enemy's camp and stuff" he mimicked Chef Doujima's body language and crossed his arms also.

"Who cares how or why Hayama joined central" spoke up Ibusaki-san. His soft and raspy voice garnered everyone's attention. He remained quiet and in his own world the whole time, reminding Takumi of Kuchiyose's natural disposition. "Nothing we can do about it anyway".

"I just can't imagine him agreeing to being lorded over" said Yukihira to Ibusaki-san gesturing his hand out to further emphasise his point.

Chef Doujima finally opened his sharp brown eyes. "It's as you say, Yukihira. It seemed that initially he was quite opposed to being lorded over, himself"

Yukihira and Takumi snapped their eyes up in surprise. Really? Hayama had in fact been against it in the first place? Then what's with the sudden change of values? Takumi couldn't piece the bits of information together to create the whole picture.

"The Shiomi Seminar mainly ran on donations and partnership contracts from other research facilities and businesses. They fund Jun's research. Cut them off and the Shiomi Seminar won't have any legs to stand on, and that's exactly what Azami did. He forced Jun's seminar contract partners' hands to withdraw from her and cancel their deal and partnership. He did it to every single one, until there was virtually no support. So the Shiomi Seminar crumbled. It was all part of his plan to bring Hayama into his fold. Hayama wanted nothing more than to protect Jun and give her a place to belong, like she had done for him when she adopted him out of Bangladesh. So Azami gave him an ultimatum to use his skills for Central to protect Jun. And for that goal, he had no choice but to defeat you, Yukihira" said Chef Doujima.

"But he didn't win…" said Yukihira. "So what's going to happen to him?"

"I don't know. But knowing Azami, he will have something nasty in store for him"

The whole room went deathly quiet. It was suddenly chilly as realisation dawned upon them. Takumi clenched his fist. All this time… Hayama, just wanted to save Professor Shiomi and he gave up everything he believed to do that. He bit the bullet and fought for something higher than himself. He wasn't a coward like he thought he was. On the contrary, Hayama Akira was incredibly brave. Probably one of the bravest people he knew.

"I should've known…" said Takumi.

" _Fratello?"_ Isami looked over in worry.

"Namikaze… Ayame said Namikaze mentioned that he asked her hypothetical questions about sacrifices one time when they bumped into each other at Karakura honchou. I didn't think much of it at the time. I should've picked up on that" Takumi massaged his forehead in frustration.

"Why on earth would Hayama go around talking about such things? He isn't the type to be having DMCs with just anybody" asked Nakiri Alice. She flipped her long silver lock from her eyes.

"Who knows, but that's a heavy burden to shoulder, even for Hayama… Maybe it was an subconscious cry for help… to let someone know that he was suffering" offered Isami.

"Namikaze-san of all people?" asked Tadokoro-san. His thoughts exactly.

"Ayame thinks he fancies Namikaze" scoffed Takumi.

"Ha… all this time, I thought he had the hots for Shiomi-sensei"

 _"He's her adopted son, you idiota!"_ Takumi yelled at Yukihira's thick head. Honestly!

"Anyway" Chef Doujima's deep voice captured everybody's attention again "That's Hayama's situation"

Everyone nodded sullenly, feeling bad for trash-talking their classmate the whole time.

"Hey, Hishoko. Where are you going?" asked Nakiri Alice.

Takumi looked up towards where the Arato-san should be but instead caught the rosette-haired _yakuzan_ specialist in his periphery. She paused halfway out the dining room with her phone halfway to her ears. She turned around at her nickname, looking a bit shocked that someone caught her slipping out of the dining hall. She had a slight blush.

"Um-uh… I just have an important ph-phone call to make… that's all" she stuttered nervously.

"Oh? Okay then, get to it!" Nakiri Alice smirked like the devil "Wouldn't want to keep your _boyfriend_ waiting~"

 **" _I DON'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND!"_**

* * *

Akira slammed the door shut.

This was fucking ridiculous! If Azami was going to fucking punish him, then just fucking do it already! Instead the monster decided he wanted to keep him in limbo rather than tell him how his life as a chef was going to end, and how he'll destroy Jun. It was like Azami wanted to control his oxygen levels. He was depriving it to the point where he felt like he was suffocating, but not enough to pass out. Stuck gasping for little air to fill his aching lungs. Not knowing was the worst part, there was nothing he could do to prepare. He knew that Azami definitely wanted to keep him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't enforce his own brand of twisted discipline to ensure no more failures in Central.

The living quarters was empty. He hadn't seen Jun for a while. Not only was their living quarters empty of her warmth, but also their scientific equipment, samples, green house and their data were all confiscated, held hostage by Azami. _His life and Jun's life._ It was late at night when Akira came back from the grassy knoll. He always went there with his bag of cinnamon sticks. He would lay on the green grass in the cold night air to relax and collect his thoughts which was exactly what he did tonight. He would rest a cinnamon stick at his nostrils and inhale deeply, letting the sweet, spicy and earthy scent wash over him. Now the cinnamon scent had a new meaning to him. The short and cranky girl with congenital anosmia came to mind. He didn't have the patience to think of two troublesome things at once. He didn't come out of that peaceful place feeling any better. Akira stomped over to the cupboard and grabbed the first thing he saw.

Jun's bottle of _sake._

"Fuck. It'll do"

Akira poured it into a little _sake_ cup and knocked it back. He concentrated on the burn as it scorched his throat. It made his skin feel hot, but the warmth did nothing to replace the frigid cold he was feeling inside his dead body. The disgusting bitter taste lingered on his tongue and combined with his heightened sense of smell, it was a total fuck-up of the senses. He didn't understand what was pleasurable about alcoholic drinks. Jun liked to drink _sake_ to unhinge. But for him, right now he needed it to make him forget.

Forget his defeat.

" _Yukihira…"_ he whispered through gritted teeth.

After the bear-meat _shokugeki,_ the male Joan-of-Arc preached about him falling into darkness and losing his way. That moron didn't understand anything. He _had_ to do this. Even if he did turn over to the Rebel Alliance, it wouldn't stop Azami from punishing or expelling him. One did not simply cut ties with Nakiri Azami. Akira was already dancing with the devil and the music hadn't stopped. He remembered the hurt in Jun's eyes as she looked at him in utter disappointment when he told her his decision to join Azami to save her job at the beginning of this whole debacle. He would never forget the tears streaming down her face as she screamed at him not to follow down that path. It felt like his heart was being stabbed repeatedly, but it had to be done. Yukihira playing the maverick 'hero', gallivanting around to rub dirt in Central's face wasn't going to change his mind for one iota. He would follow through until his body dropped dead by Azami's hands, if it meant Jun would be safe.

"I will hold myself accountable… _to the very end"_ he whispered his pledge to the emptiness.

He knocked back another cup.

 _Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Akira glowered at the landline disturbing his solitude. What the fuck was it now? All the contract partners tucked their tails and ran for the hills to leave him and Jun in the dust, so who could be calling at this time of night? He was on the verge of deciding to let the ringing die out, but he picked it up anyway. A few more cups of _sake_ and he'd forget whatever miserable news the fucker's got to—

" _Is this Hayama Akira?"_

Akira paused pouring a third cup of _sake._ The voice was unfamiliar. It was a male voice. A young male's voice with a rural twang. Akira was full of trepidation. He carefully set the _sake_ bottle down.

"…Yeah. Who's this"

" _Not important. I heard Professor Shiomi's Spice Seminar was executed by the Azami Administration's firin' squad, and ya prostituted ya-self to the enemy so she doesn't go homeless. Props for that. Takes balls. Luckily, I 'ave a proposition that could turn all that 'round 'n' potentially save her career._

"…"

Akira was frozen solid. _Prostituted?_ _…_ _What…_

" _I take ya silence as for me to keep talkin'. Dr. Haruno Sakura, the tenure professor at Toudai has a job opennin' for a permanent research position within her Faculty of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine"_

"…Who the fuck are you and what the hell is this?"

" _ **All ya need to know is I'm ya way out"**_

Akira faultered. Way… out? What did he mean by that _?_ This talk about saving Jun's career was messing with his brain, but he was slowly making heads and tails of it. _A way out for himself and Jun._ Was _that_ what the caller was talking about? Next, he placed the _sake_ cup back down onto the table with a clumsy hand. His heart sped up and the hand holding the cordless phone shook. He could feel the heat of the alcohol thrumming through his body sluggishly now. He felt hot. He didn't understand what he was feeling! It made him breathless and his chest felt tight. There was adrenaline pumping all over his body. He could feel sweat beading against his temple and all he could hear was the rapid beating on his heart in his ears. He tried his best to identify this foreign feeling but he couldn't but a finger on it. Or maybe the feeling wasn't actually foreign, but was something he hadn't felt in such a long time, to the point that it was almost unrecognisable. Was it… Was this…

 _Hope?_

He gulped. It was probably safe to assume that the caller knew a lot about the shit-storm he was in.

"… I've already struck a deal with Director Azami. He's promised to build me a brand new exclusive research facility inside Central if I join him… he also promised to employ Jun as well. So Jun is safe now"

It sounded too good to be true. He already resigned himself to the fact that joining Azami was his only ultimatum, and there was nothing else he could do. He didn't care that he was part of Central. He only cared about Jun and her life-long research. _He did it all for Jun's sake._ He owed her an unimaginable debt. _She saved his life._ The least he could was save hers in return even if it meant sacrificing himself to the most despicable man in the world. She might hate his guts and be really disappointed in him. Heck, he knew she felt that because they were not on speaking terms with each other but that didn't matter.

* * *

 _"Being a hero isn't about letting people know you did the right thing. It's about YOU knowing YOU did the right thing"_

* * *

As strange as it sounded. Akira took comfort in what the short Karakura student said to him on that day. Ever since he bumped into Namikaze at the department store, he made his rock-solid decision. No matter what, he was going to save Jun's career. That was how he knew he was doing the right thing by Jun. Every time Akira became doubtful, all he needed to do was play Namikaze's words like a mantra in his head, then he wouldn't lose focus and be on track again. A 'hero from the shadows', that was the role he forced himself to play. While Yukihira and the Rebel Alliance were the heroes of their time that everybody knew about, endeavouring to save the whole school, Akira strived to do his bit and save his adoptive mother in their corner of the world. It felt sickening and hubristic to think himself as a hero disguised as a villain sometimes, but at other times, following the self-delusion helped him sleep at night.

But now with this miraculous offer coming at him at such a trying time… maybe he wouldn't have to live as a villain anymore.

" _Is she really… Would ya rather her be under Azami? Or under Dr. Haruno?"_

"…"

" _I've been told that Professor Shiomi was doin' excellent research in_ _ _…_ let me see_ _…flavourants prepared through solid phase extraction, virtual mappin' development, development of a system for preparin' 'n' packagin' herbs that specialises in preservin' their freshness 'n' stuff. That last topic there sounds real interestin' by the way. I think ya professor will suit that Toudai position perfectly"_

"They don't have anything to do with traditional Chinese medicine though. And how did you get that information anyway!"

" _Also not important._ _Your research is to do with edible plants. Good enough for herbal medicine. Slightly changin' her field of study ain't that big of a deal. What stands out to me is Professor Shiomi's projects capability to further develop the field of traditional Chinese herbal medicine in an innovative way to support 'n'expand its use across the world"_

Not important he said… It could've been leaked by anybody from Tootsuki. The only people who knew were anyone who was ever interested enough to ask Jun about her research.

"What's the permanent research position about?" asked Hayama sceptically.

" _For the first year, she'll be conducting research under Dr. Haruno's supervision into whatever projects she's got goin' on at the moment. After that, she'll 'ave room to conduct her own research if she proves good enough by the end to Dr. Haruno. There are other bonus opportunities to develop other skills such as teachin' a university class, holdin' her own university seminar 'n' conferences, publishing research papers in highly distinguished journals, accompany Dr. Haruno in accreditation for other universities 'n' institutes"_

"But Jun's research is highly specialised and there's no other place that has the capacity to—"

" _Tokyo University is perfectly capable, thanks very much. Tootsuki may be operatin' as a school for chefs, but at its heart is a business with only business interests, 'n' the interests of their business partners. A businessman like Azami will end up telling ya what_ _ **he**_ _wants ya to research 'n' then monopolise it. If ya don't research what he wants, ya fired or expelled. That's the nature of a private business, right? Toudai on the other hand is a government institution whose focus is largely on_ _ **academia.**_ _The only thing ya professor needs to focus on in her position is social responsibility, which for any decent scientist ain't a problem. That's more room to breathe already, ain't it?_

Akira retired to his small room, leaving behind the bottle of _sake_ and used cups on the table. He switched the cordless phone to his other ear as he attempted to change his clothes with one hand. So far this sounded interesting enough, but not enough to hook him.

"Scientists and researchers working in Universities rely on grant money all the time, so they are under the government's thumb too" he said.

" _Writin' grant proposals are a normal part of bein' a researcher. It ain't worth quibblin' over"_

Akira felt the vein in his temple throb. He could practically hear the eye-roll behind those words. "What about the facilities? Jun needs highly specialised equipment and resources to conduct her research"

" _Toudai's laboratories 'n' facilities are state-of-the-art, 'n' on the same level as Nakiri International. The Faculty of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine has teams of both like-minded 'n' diverse scientists which Professor Shiomi can collaborate 'n' share ideas with. Also there's the teams from other faculties in the science field if she wants an interdisciplinary collaboration, or just intelligent chats by the water cooler. So it'll broaden her horizons 'n' open up some brain-space she never knew she had, ya know? Tootsuki can't offer that since it's only the two of ya. Nakiri International is probably too stuck-up to give ya'll the time of day"_

"You should already know that Director Azami's influence is far-spread. He's talked all of our research partners out of our contracts and deals. He's forced all of them to withdraw and stop funding us. He'll do the same with Toudai if he wants" said Hayama sombrely.

" _Please. Dr Haruno has picked boogers from her nose bigger than Nakiri Azami. If he values his existence, he'll stay clear of her faculty"_

Akira would've found that amusing if he wasn't so stressed and fucking tired. He shook his head. He'd seen Dr. Haruno in action verbally backhanding the CEO of Igakono _senbei_ and the CEO of TopRamen Limited single handedly without breaking a sweat. She was truly a magnificent force to be reckoned with as she kept the two biggest business moguls of Japan in line during the short-lived Elite Ten Reshuffle competition. She was fierce, she was steadfast and was incredibly strong-spirited whilst maintaining absolute grace. So maybe Azami would have a harder time swaying her.

"You're selling me some good points here, but there is no guarantee that Jun will get that position"

" _I can put in a good word for her to Dr. Haruno 'n' get the job information package earlier, 'n' 'ave them sent to ya. It'll help her organise her resume, portfolio, CV 'n' all that stuff so it'll be better than the other applicants. Nobody else is gettin' that special treatment. I may be showin' ya a way out, but I ain't diggin' the whole tunnel for ya'll. The rest is up to the both of ya to re-start her career in a better position"_

"So… _if_ she gets the position then—"

" _Then ya can reconsider where ya loyalties lie without anythin' to hold ya back, yeah?"_

It was all clicking into place now. Jun could get another job still pursuing her passion and be _free._ She could still conduct her research and projects in top of the range facilities. Toudai could open more doors for her. She would get the privilege to work under the famous Dr. Haruno Sakura and collaborate with other big-name scientists. She could publish her research for the whole world to see. She would have room to move up the career ladder and change the world. _It was definitely better than what the current Tootsuki could offer._ Then he could be rid of Azami's spider-web spun puppet strings, knowing that Jun would be safe under Dr. Haruno's wings. Both he and Jun had nothing to lose.

" _Now my work here is done 'n' I've got my own shit to do. So I'm gonna hang up now—"_

"Wait! If you're not going to tell me your name, at least tell me how the hell do you know about our situation in the first place. _Who told you to call me?_ "

 _"Still bangin' on 'bout that… Fine then. Ya classmate, **Arato Hisako** told me all 'bout ya sorry ass. This 'Shawshank Redemption' thing for ya was her idea. Only ya ain't tunnelin' through shit, 'n' there's a better chance of redemption at the end. So she asked me for another favour to help ya'll out. Real **sweetheart** , ain't she? Laters fam"_

 _Click… beep…beep…beep_

That made no sense to Akira.

Whoever this caller was, he had to thank him one day, and Arato too.

He was going to get Jun out of here.

* * *

 **I'm going to let that sink in...**

 **The light at the end of the tunnel for Hayama and Shiomi! :D Thanks Hisako! and thank you caller-san!** **Hayama is under a tonne of stress. Who could function with Azami breathing down their backs? I hope his vulnerability shows. He is dependent on Chizuru's words to reassure himself that he's doing the right thing. (Chizuru's quote about being a hero was from chapter 38 - _Sacrifice_ )**

 **Now the whole gang understands Hayama's situation :) and y** **eah... no more drinks for Yuuki...**

 **Thanks for reading and do visit the poll to pick who your favourite OC character is for A Touch of Saffron: Ayame, Chizuru or Kuchiyose! Also you can see what others have voted :3**

 **Until we meet again, I'd love to know what your guys think!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	41. The Leg-work

_Chapter 41 - The Leg-work  
_

* * *

"Byakko, this is not the time to be having a nervous breakdown!" Alice whispered harshly.

The lilac-haired giant was incessantly pulling at the stiff collar of his dress shirt despite her rapid reminders not to. This time his eyes weren't the usual hollowness, but was filled with feverish anxiety as his long sweaty fingers tugged the crisp white fabric from his prominent Adam's apple like it was biting him. This morning, Alice had finally managed to wrangle him into a suit with the help of Ayame-san and Namikaze-san of course. One giant against three ornery girls on a mission? Ha! He didn't stand a chance. He groaned again. Low, guttural and full of annoyance. His forehead was starting to look like a waterfall as his chest heaved up and down from his imaginary sweltering heat.

' _Face it. It could be worse'_

Alice had to admit that he cleaned up really well. He looked delicious in a casual suit. Once upon a time she would have said that loud and proud, but with the slightly tentative situation of theirs, she kept it to herself. They settled for casual garments only because he out-rightly refused to wear the jacket that came with it. Instead he was in black dress pants, black shoes, and a crisp white dress shirt. His hair was tied up in a low-pony tail with his fringe slicked back with a ridiculous amount of hair gel. Just thinking about him and his new clothes sent her cheeks simmering as Alice grazed her scrutinising ruby-red eyes across the dip of his clavicle disappearing into his dress-shirt. The buttons barely held the expanse of the lean and taut muscles of his chest, flexing as Byakko hyperventilated in barely concealed panic. My… it was getting hard to swallow.

Alice tried to refocus.

' _For goodness sakes! How many times do I have to remind him that rolling his sleeves up to his elbows will ruin the fabric!'_

Alice huffed under her breath as Byakko tried to tug it higher. She was mentally criticising Byakko in any way she could to be rid of this gut-churning feeling that sent delightful butterflies through her system, but restrained herself from doing anything about it. She already tried to roll them down three times, but he always ended up rolling them back up while he sent her a scathing, but harmless glare with those heated hazel orbs. Her fingers itched by her side so she clenched them around her expensive handbag. Even in his nervous-breakdown, he tried to retain some semblance of his own control, and so she gave up and let him have it in case he cracked from her nagging. Alice unwound her fingers, realising that the sweat from her palms might ruin the leather and instead wrung her hands behind her back as she gave his physique one last critical appraisal. She gently bit her lip, resisting a sigh. Even though he looked _really_ good right now, he was treading a very thin line between looking too casual, and formal enough for a meeting with _Ojii-sama._

The other reason they were here.

Meet the grandfather.

She might be a bit of an opportunist at times, but Isshiki-senpai was more so. When he heard that she and Byakko were going to try to make it work again, he spared them no delay and made an enthusiastic suggestion. Now that _Fader_ has returned to _Danmark_ and is out of the way, how about making the relationship official behind his back by introducing the Byakko to _Ojii-sama_ and win his support! But here's the bonus: Participate in a side-quest and break into your dead aunt's bedroom on the way to your final destination, and leave a spy drone there to do what it does best. Then pick it up on the way out. Killing two birds with one stone! He didn't say it exactly like that, but he might as well have.

He even wanted to sweeten the deal by saying he could get Ayame Kanda involved.

The sigh slipped out anyway. She warned Byakko about keeping the proper dress code in the presence of a Japanese noble, but it didn't look like it registered in that panic-filled mind. He was _that_ restless and _that_ fearful. It wasn't as if she would be seeing him in a casual suit again any time soon so she might as well enjoy the view while she could. More positives out of a volatile situation. After all, they were back together again… _sort of…_ and hot boyfriends were there to be ogled at to the heart's content.

 _"What if I mess up"_

Byakko's deep voice was thick and hoarse with worry. Alice took the gift bag from him before he accidentally flung it over the boardwalk railing. One of the things inside the beautifully decorated bag was Byakko's initial-meeting-gift for _Ojii-sama._ She grabbed his free hand and squeezed it tightly.

"You won't. All you have to do is pick the lock, deposit the drone, let Ayame-san do her thing for an hour, and we pick it up on the way out"

"I don't mean that. I mean… what if your grandfather doesn't like me?"

Alice's eyes softened as she craned her neck to look up at her boyfriend. The unsure lilt at the end of his sentence made him endearingly vulnerable. In all honesty, she was more scared of meeting _his_ parents and them hating _her,_ after everything she'd done to him. For somebody so tall and intimidating to stand beside, he looked like he was so worried to the point of fainting. It was worse than that time he had stage fright at the Tootsuki Summer Solstice Festival. That was an off-limits topic now. Alice knew Byakko's demeanour was made of steel when he needed it to be. Nothing phased him. Not the delinquents littering around Karakura Town who targeted him, not the toughest soccer opponents Japan threw his way and certainly not when having a stare-down with Ryou-kun.

 _Nothing._

Except playing guitar in front of a live audience and the prospect of meeting _Ojii-sama._

He had his vices.

Byakko's hazel eyes darted from side to side, clearly uncomfortable with being surround by wealth and walking on floorboards that cost more than his family home mortgage. He had every right to be freaked out, any boyfriend would. But in Byakko's case, he had every right to freak out even more. Alice had nothing but faith in him and that _Ojii-sama_ would like him. _Ojii-sama_ was a man of reason and fairness, never letting blind prejudice to dictate him. He was also a man who never forgot his roots. All Byakko needed to do was to be true to himself and hopefully _Ojii-sama_ will see what a great guy Byakko was!

For a second there, she felt guilty.

' _Byakko's always putting up with my crap… even after what I did to him. He is… too good for me'_

The flicker of fear and nerves swimming in his eyes made Alice grab his shoulders and pull him down to a close-quarters kiss. She made sure it was a full and earnest one to show how much he really meant to her. Not Isshiki-senpai's bloody plan, but him meeting the most important member of her family and showing him how they could make this work. Once they parted, Byakko's breath ghosted over her lips and they quivered ever so slightly. He still bent over her smaller frame, not yet straightening up. His eyes were closed and he continued to inhale and exhale through his mouth as if he hadn't been kissed in forever. There was a noticeable improvement as his breathing calmed. Alice ran her hands over the front of this shirt, up and down as she tried to smooth the imaginary creases. The musky scent of pine and grass was masked by the thin spray of citrusy cologne she bought for him.

"You will be fine. _We'll_ be fine"

Byakko finally re-erected his back and his eyes glazed over with his familiar determination just before a tough soccer game, but still a hint of anxiety lurked beneath it. Alice returned her infamous smile, knowing that it will further ease Byakko, or so she hoped. Alice led him down the corridor, their shoes echoing off the aging pine as they passed by sliding doors after sliding doors. The Danish Nakiri breathed out a shuddering breath. She stopped in front of a particular set and then her chest suddenly felt extremely heavy.

This was it. This was the room.

Only it wasn't the customary sliding door. It was a _fusuma_ disguised as a wall.

There were no handles or locks in sight.

Nobody outside the inner circles of the family would even know such a thing existed. So she justified that as the reason why she was jealous that Isshiki-senpai somehow came by this information from her grief-stricken _Ojii-sama_ many weeks ago. Like, how could he have obtained that info?! Both teens examined it. It was now a large mural, painted in moss green, plum-blossom blushes, and earthen brown hues beloved by the Japanese artistic community. Normally these days, they were _printed_ on the thick and opaque _washi_ paper that constituted the Japanese _fusuma,_ otherwise known as the room-dividers _._ But of course, the Nakiri Family weren't ones to always transgress the traditional. It _had_ to be hand-painted in the good old-fashioned way. The delicate brush strokes brought to life one of the oldest plum trees Alice had ever seen. It immersed its convoluted branches over the width of three-sets of _fusuma_. She could just reach out and touch the twisted branches and actually feel the texture of the rough and hardened bark. It was so detailed. Japanese style paintings were one of the oldest and most highly refined. She reckoned that only a few noble families still invested in mid- _Heian_ period _fusuma_ art, with the Nakiri family being one of them.

She vaguely felt Byakko slip his hand from hers. The sounds of his knees cracking as he crouched down in front of the middle _fusuma_ panel alerted her that he was already getting to work. It was like he completely transformed and she had no idea who that nervous wreck was before. That was the thing about Kuchiyose Byakko. Once he found his footing, he was _focused_. She stepped aside and watched as his sharp eyes trained over a particular part on the mural, completely ignoring the elegant and beautiful art. He lifted his long arm and caressed the smooth lacquered edge of the middle part of the _fusuma_ until he came to a stop. He turned towards Alice and held out his hand patiently.

"Uh… Oh! Right…"

The Danish Nakiri fumbled with her hand bag and pulled out a roll of fabric and quickly handed it to Byakko. It was his lock-picking kit which he gave to her for safe keeping. That thing was was surprisingly light! He couldn't tuck it into his belt at the back like he usually did b _ecause he refused the bloody jacket!_ While Byakko was unfurling it and selecting whatever tools he needed, Alice glanced at her watch. It would be fifteen minutes until the next change-over of maids. She wasn't sure if that was enough time. Alice turned back to see what Byakko was doing and it was her turn to freak out.

He was cutting open the _fusuma!_

"W-What are you doing?!" she whispered loudly.

"The lock is behind the _fusuma_ , where the original _shoji_ is"

Alice didn't even know that. There was no way Isshiki-senpai would know that either. He sure had an eye for these things. She wanted to beat her fists on his back for no apparent reason. She wondered how many other doors did Byakko lock-picked while they were… broken up… He calmly and expertly sliced the artwork with a switch-blade to lift off a piece of square opaque paper. Her breath caught in her chest as she begged that he didn't tear anything else. It was such a shame that such piece of artistic craftsmanship was being ruined in this way. But since everybody usually walked by the section of the traditional manor without so much as glancing in the direction of Lady's Nadeshiko's old room, they might just overlook a few slight cuts to the artwork. But it was for a greater cause! Luckily it was just beige and wasn't part of the plum tree so at least that was in their favour. Sure enough, once he removed the thick piece of paper, there was the round metal pull of the _fusuma_.

So that's how it wasn't bulging from the _washi!_ It was pressed further in until it was flush. Byakko eased his fingers into the grooves and cautiously tugged it.

Alice held her breath even more as it cracked back with a crusty-sounding release.

He tugged it again with a little more force.

The whole _fusuma_ with the plum-tree began to shift with an audible groan and a slight rattle. It was almost painful to watch the _fusuma_ shifting aside with little bits of dust and particles snowing down from the top railing. The middle of the mural swallowed itself in the middle as half the plum tree trunk slid behind the other. It was never meant to be opened, but for some reason the builders added the wooden top and bottom rails anyway and she was glad for it. Her boyfriend's nostrils flared as he braced himself and edged it further against heavier resistance until he could see some of the original _shoji_ door behind the plum-tree disguised _fusuma._ Lady Nadeshiko's original _shoji_ door. The rice paper was still fairy white. Alice finally released her breath. Well that was one barrier down. The wooden pull of the _shoji_ door had an installed lock on it.

How modern for sixteen years ago.

Byakko sidled closer and inspected it before pulling out a set of long needles with and without hooked ends. He proceeded to gently insert it in and did what he did best besides soccer and playing the acoustic.

Lock picking.

It was highly unusual for _shoji_ doors to have locks. She didn't know if this was _Ojii-sama's_ doing or if it was Lady Nadeshiko's. Whatever the case, they had to get passed it.

"Quickly Byakko, ten more minutes until the maid change over" whispered Alice.

"Would you rather me _punch_ through the paper?"

Alice gaped at him. She pursed her lips and her cheeks puffed up and turned red.

Byakko ignored her and after a few carefully placed jostles and clicks, there was a louder click and he twisted his wrist quickly. Byakko exhaled through his nose and retracted his tools, placing them back into their cloth bag. Alice patted down her cream-coloured dress and bent closer. There was this morbid curiosity in seeing what Lady Nadeshiko's room looked like at the moment of her ghastly demise. Byakko managed to slide the now unlocked _shoji_ open a bit more easily.

"It smells weird" commented Alice.

" _Smells like death"_

Well, Byakko wasn't wrong there. But he didn't need to say it in such a nonchalant way. It made the whole thing creepier. The darkness within brought a musty, stuffy and stale smell, tainted with an old scent of a women's perfume from a different time. It air tasted like dust and emptiness. She didn't like it one bit. There was a slight disturbance in the space around them, as if the room was liberated from a suffocating hold. It gasped for as much breath as it could from being locked away for sixteen years. Alice's hand flew up to her nose as she craned her neck inside, just to catch a sight of any of the contents of the room. It was so dark! The _fusuma_ were all opaque. She couldn't see much except maybe an outline of a chest of drawers and a raised _futon._ She had no time to explore, they had work to do.

Byakko teased the gift bag from Alice's hand, reached inside and took out a small robotic creature.

Ayame-san's remote controlled mini-stealth drone with a few modifications.

It used to be police issued but was decommissioned, and Ayame-san the little nerdy delight was able to patch it up back to working order. It didn't take a genius to see that she installed bits and pieces from a Swiss-army knife to it to help collect and forage for evidence. Her boyfriend pressed a button at the bottom of the drone and Alice watched the slow flashing of the red light pulse at the front where the camera lens were before it turned green. There was barely any sound coming from the little machine as it was slowly brought to life. It had a main body, three feet, and two individual horizontal propellers to get it off the ground, where its angle could be adjusted to turn and such while hovering in the air. There was also a little antenna on top for maintaining signals as Ayame-san and the other could control it from a long distance.

Alice crouched down beside Byakko, pressing her handbag close to her chest to slow down her heart.

"Right! Give us a sign if you could hear me" said Alice.

The little camera lens protruded and retracted, then swiveled up and down along the vertical axis.

"Great! Now, can you see us?" said Alice with more excitement.

The little camera lens 'nodded' again.

" _Fantastisk!_ It's all up to you now, Ayame-san _"_

Alice did a little dance in her head, knowing her non-Tootsuki friend could hear and see what was happening on their end. She threw a peace sign in front of the lens and stuck her tongue out. This was going to be awesome! Byakko carefully placed the mini stealth drone into the room as far as his arm could reach into the darkness. Then he quickly closed the _shoji_ screen door without locking it, and did the same with the _fusuma._ Alice cringed as the straining and grinding down of the _fusuma_ slid shut into place.

"What are you going to do with the _fusuma_ paper that you cut out?" asked Alice, blinking up at him.

" _Blu-tack"_

Byakko pulled a strip of brand new blu-tack from its anti-adhesive wrapper that was tucked into his lock-picking kit and placed a bit onto each corner of the square piece of _fusuma_ paper. He placed it perfectly in the little cut-out over the metal pull of the _fusuma._ Well he came prepared, didn't he? He quickly patted it down until it was as smooth and as leveled as possible. Alice grinned and flipped a lock of her silver lock from her eyes. As long as nobody looked too closely at it in that _exact_ spot of where the metal pull was, then none would be the wiser.

They both stepped back and admired their… whatever the hell this was… handiwork? Vandalism? Either way, it was phase one of the plan accomplished. Now to continue their way to meet with _Ojii-sama_ , stretch the meeting to an hour or so and then pick the drone up on the way back! Simple and easy!

Byakko picked up his gift-bag and shifted the paper-woven handles between his nimble fingers. Alice slipped her fingers into his other hand and gently tugged on his finger, only to find out that Byakko was back to sweating all over his forehead and his eyes were once again filled with anxiety and his hands were shaking. _Ah min gud! Not again!_

"Pffftt"

" _What?"_ he groaned.

"Oh Byakko!"

Alice laughed and leapt into his arms. She took delight in his eyes widening in stunned surprise as he stumbled back slightly to catch her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a sloppy wet kiss on his lips. His lilac-half ponytail tickled her arms. Once she pulled away, she shifted until she was at the right side of his hip, sitting all daintily into the crook of his elbows as he his strong arms remained looped under her thighs. In the past she loved turning her boyfriend's arms into her own custom made throne. It was the only way for her to be taller than him or at least eye level. Although he couldn't hold her for more than half an hour like this, bearing all her weight in his arms.

He stared back at her in mild exasperation.

"Come on. Let's get this over and done with. We have an _hour_ with _Ojii-sama_ remember?" Alice giggled, stroking her manicured nails along his chiselled jawline, and the other still resting against his toned shoulders. She could smell his natural pine and grassy scent better at this height.

Byakko snorted and began striding along the boardwalk towards _Ojii-sama's_ place of residence. His foot-steps were heavy. Alice could hear the paper gift-bag swaying as it was still hooked around his fingers. She wasn't keen on him to sweating any more than he was already and soak his shirt.

"A Nakiri might see us like this" giggled Alice. She had this knack for making her laughs and giggles sound malicious.

 _"Still complaining about that?"_

* * *

"Alright, phase two commencing. We have only an hour"

Ayame popped a mini _arancini_ ball into her mouth as she quickly typed a few commands into her keyboard. Ohhhhh… she was going methodist now! All of a sudden, suspenseful music was playing in her mind, a mish-mash of instrumentals from various spy and action movies she'd watch in her life. First step was recalibration. Check that everything was in working order. Night vision on, make sure the sensors were working. Scan the area for size, distance, _everything_.. It was pretty tough installing the scissors and knife parts of the swiss-army knife into the stealth drone and program the receptor holding the knife and scissors to cooperate with the manipulator arm she attached from a different robot. So basically, this was probably eighty percent mini-stealth drone and about twenty percent junk. She was glad she started this project a _long_ time ago. Who know Isshiki-senpai would provide such an opportunity to take it out on a mission. She guessed that this mini remote-controlled stealth drone's destiny was to help solve a murder mystery.

"It's taking longer to recalibrate this time"

The smooth voice of her boyfriend momentarily distracted her as he settled at her right side. Takumi-kun stared in wonder at her laptop screen. It was every shade of lime green. Ayame couldn't risk using a light source just in case it damaged anything that was photosensitive, so she opted for night vision.

She popped another mini- _arancini_ ball in her mouth.

"It needs to gather data about the place first. It's a new environment. It would be really nice if I had time to dig up an air-pressure sensor and PPM counter to add to the mix" said Ayame.

Takumi-kun smiled beside her as he helped himself to the mini _-arancini_ balls he made too. Everywhere they went together, he carried home-made snacks. Mini- _arancini_ balls were the perfect comfort food for a secret operation like this. They were baby sized and so easy to just eat, one after the other. If Ayame wasn't careful, she could easily fill up on these without realising. Takumi-kun was still feeling tense today, but nowhere near as tense and nervous as she was earlier in the morning. Isami-kun had to psyche both of them up before departing the Aldini twin's apartment. She had to be absolutely careful. She practiced maneuvering the drone in places like _Otou-san's_ office and her bedroom, Takumi-kun's and Isami-kun's bedroom. Chizuru-chan's room and Kuchiyose-kun's family tofu shop. until she was familiar with lots of tricky turns and corners. But this was a totally new area. Who knew what things the drone could bump into that could alert a passing Nakiri maid, should they hear it through the wall.

"Oh! Is it starting?"

The abrupt slam of the Polar Star barn door echoed across the large hay-filled area. Tadokoro-san scampered towards them with a canister of her famous chilled barely tea. It was Isshiki-san's idea to use the Polar Star barn for Ayame's part of the operation. So of course she had to procure Chizuru-chan's long-life laptop battery. Apparently Director Nakiri's staff have been dropping in and out of Polar Star Dormitory more often to 'update the students' on different rules and policies being instated. Rules and polices Tootsuki students could easily look up themselves on the school website, or be sent via school email. It wasn't like Polar Star Dormitory had no internet access… It was so obvious Director Nakiri wanted to keep a watchful eye on the Rebel Alliance. Staying in the Polar Star Dormitory building was far too risky.

Also, she couldn't believe Tadokoro-san had to sleep in this barn for a month because she failed the Polar Star Dormitory entrance exam that many times in her first year as a high schooler!

"Yeah, I'm going to start at this end of the room"

Ayame grasped the remote-control joystick delicately as she operated the drone to hover a good metre off the ground. Takumi-kun leaned in closer, eyes glued to the screen as the three of them watched the drone hover slowly towards the _kyodai,_ or Japanese style dressing table, against the wall. She'd only ever seen a real _kyodai_ at the museum. The _tatami_ floor was covered in a thick film of dust, but the propellers of the drone blew them everywhere, clearing the surface so that Ayame could have a better look at what was on it too. She tried to minimise her admiration for the antique furniture and concentrated on searching for any useful evidence.

"Are you sure you can find anything of use? I mean, it's been so long…" said the bluenette hesitantly.

"A perfectly undisturbed crime scene can reveal evidence up to fifteen to twenty years" informed Ayame airily. She wanted to focus all her energy on controlling her drone. She angled the camera closer to the surface. "It's just a bowl with some hair-ties, pins, a hair brush, ring box and… an empty space?"

"Hmm? Is that significant?" asked Takumi-kun.

"Maybe…"

Ayame squinted out of habit. Not just an empty space. An empty space with _three scratch marks._

She let the drone hover there. The empty space with the three scratch marks was on the _left-hand_ side of the _kyodai_. Most people were right-handed so when they're styling their hair, putting on make-up or putting on jewellery, most of the stuff they need were placed on the _right-hand side_ of the vanity, where everything could be in reach. Even if Lady Nadeshiko had a hand-maid to do all that for her, the same rule applied. Which was exactly how Lady Nadeshiko placed her things. So the scratch marks on the _left-hand_ side meant something unrelated to jewellery, make-up and hair used to be there. The three scratches were deep enough to cut into the varnish, just a smidge when Ayame moved the camera closer. They weren't _single clean_ scratches either, it was as if it was _regularly_ scratched on the same spots. Ayame nibbled her bottom lip. Given by the deep indents, and how many repeated scratches were on the same places, Ayame surmised that something was regularly shifted on the spot, but was important enough to _remain_ there. If she were to draw a line between the three scratched points, it made a scalene triangle, almost isosceles. Ayame tilted her head. The hypotenuse, or the longer side of the triangle was facing where Lady Nadeshiko would've sat if she—

"Photo frame. A photo frame is missing" blurted Ayame.

"Eh?" spluttered Megumi-san.

Ayame quickly tilted the joystick backwards and the camera view panned outwards as the drone moved away from the _kyodai_ all together.

"The scratch marks are indents from where a photo frame used to be. You can see, the way it's position should be _facing_ her. Photos are important. They are our memories. So what happened to the photo? Why did it have to be removed?" Said Ayame.

"I'm wondering what the picture was" said Tadokoro-san.

"My guess is it's a wedding photo" said Takumi-kun, stroking his chin.

"That would make sense. The wife would put the photo of the most important day of her life on her vanity, where she could see it all the time. When cleaning, the maid would pick it up, dust under it, put it back and re-adjusted it, which is why the scratch marks are so clear" said Ayame.

"But who would get rid of a wedding photo?" asked Tadokoro-san.

"The father who hates the son-in-law obviously" contributed Takumi-kun.

Ayame shook her head.

"I don't think so. That would be an insult to Lady Nadeshiko's memory, wouldn't it? From what I've been hearing from you guys, Senzaemon-dono loves her too much for that. He didn't even have the heart to get rid of her _yuigonshō,_ remember? No matter how despicable her husband is, Nakiri Azami was still the man she loved with all her heart. For Senzaemon-dono to get rid of the picture that meant so much to her, where she'd have to be smiling so happily? I think that's too much"

Tadokoro-san and Takumi-kun looked at her oddly. One in astonishment, and the other in reverence. Ayame blushed under their gawking stares. She hoped she didn't overstep. Too late to take back her words now. She decided to inspect the rest of the _kyodai_ and found the wood of the left lower edge dented in pretty badly, almost splintering… ouch… it sure took a beating, didn't it? She didn't mean to sound so authoritative on what the Nakiri Family members should or should not be feeling. But given all the different stories and information Takumi-kun, Isami-kun and Isshiki-san have been telling her about the whole scandal and more, she knew pretty much as much as they did. Ayame still considered herself an outsider to the Tootsuki brood sometimes, aside from Takumi-kun and Isami-kun of course, so she felt strange about knowing their Tootsuki student affairs so intimately.

' _Isshiki-san wanted my help after all, so I my opinions should matter'_

She flew the drone over to the other side of the _kyodai_ , just to see if the photo frame was nearby. Their theory could easily be refuted just as much as a single photo frame falling off to the side by accident. Who knew? But Ayame had to make sure.

"Wait _bella_ , what's that? Under the vanity"

Takumi-kun got up from his chair with a loud scrape and pointed to something obscure on the bright, green-lit screen. Ayame halted her hands in case she lost visual on whatever Takumi-kun spotted. Tadokoro-san leaned closer from behind and Ayame felt her breath over her right ear. She carefully leaned the joystick and the drone turned around. She pressed the arrow keys on her command pad until the camera angled and zoomed in. Something was reflecting off of the floor from what the night vision was showing.

"It's a piece of glass!" gasped Tadokoro-san.

Ayame knew she shouldn't be smiling, but she was. She lowered the drone and sure enough she spotted the piece sticking out from underneath the _kyodai._

"I think we're about to find out what happened to the photo frame" said Ayame.

She calmly lowered the drone and turned off the propellers once it landed on the _tatami_. She typed something into the command pad before resuming control of the joystick. Suddenly the manipulative arm she constructed came to life and rigidly tucked itself under the _kyodai_ to brush some more glass out from under the vanity. Luckily the vanity stood on feet that raised it off the _tatami_ enough for her to stick her drone's manipulative arm under it. The sound of clinking glass came out from the laptop speakers as smaller glass shards came sliding out.

Suddenly, Ayame's joystick jammed.

"Oh! I've got something" she said.

" _Fantastico"_ breathed out Takumi-kun.

Ayame typed something else into the command pad she carefully adjusted the joystick. The drone began to hover a few millimetres off the ground, blowing more dust. She practiced this maneuver before and began to reverse back. She watched the manipulative arm carefully so it didn't jam. Once she was satisfied, she pulled the joystick backwards further to make it go faster.

"Ah, that's the photoframe" said Tadokoro-san.

It indeed was. Ayame knew, it had to be it once the manipulative arm bumped against something bigger and heavier.

"But where's the photo?"

The photo was missing. The glass was all shattered, but the photo wasn't in the frame. It had been taken out. The photo frame was definitely smashed on purpose. Nothing as light as a photo frame could fall and break on something as soft as _tatami_. Then she remembered the bigger dent on the lower edge of the top surface of the _kyodai._ The perpetrator must've smashed the glass against the vanity.

Who would do a thing like that? Why not just pull it out from the back? Why break the glass at all and kick it under the _kyodai_?

 _It was done in rage._

"A missing photo is one thing to report back to Isshiki-san, but probably not something that could indicate hemlock poisoning… so let's move on to something else" said Ayame.

"Yeah" said Takumi-kun.

Ayame resumed her flight and the drone moved around the edges of the room again, scanning the walls. The lap top screen grew brighter green from the night vision, as it flew along the white walls and the inner _shoji._ She had a general idea of what to examine, but she never had an interest in forensic chemistry of any sort so… she was going to do what she could with the zero skills in that area she had. There was another door on the end of the room and as the drone flew in, she realised it was an adjoining bathroom. There could be something useful here. The drone flew up and she nibbled her lip again as she maneuvered it around. Bathrooms were trickier to do because it was smaller and filled with lots of stuff. She caught sight of the drone in the reflection of the mirror and couldn't help but giggle.

"Oh my! Is it possible to see your own reflection, I mean the drone's reflection, with night vision in the mirror with the lights off?" asked Tadokoro-san curiously.

"Night vision lens are simply lens with high sensitivity to light. Therefore, yes" said Ayame happily, smiling at the blue-headed chef. She grabbed the cup of chilled barley tea and took a big sip before resuming again.

"The arm thingy… it's made of Lego!" continued Tadokoro-san.

"I'm glad you noticed! Yes, I'm a fan of Lego" Ayame was filled with so much giddiness and her voice when high pitched to reflect it.

"Tadokoro-san… please, Ayame needs to concentrate" Takumi-kun mumbled under his breath, trying not to sound too assertive for the gentle soul showing interest in Ayame's drone.

She loved Lego. Lego was a budding engineer's toy. Takumi-kun was on the receiving end of her gushing over Lego more than once before. She had always wanted programmable Lego, specifically the Lego Mindstorms collection and build more little toy robots and program them to do lots of things. Simple things, but still getting her hands on some mechanical and mechatronic activities were always super fun! She received two sets from _Okaa-san_ last year for her birthday and built something similar to the Mars Rover, but smaller, and the EV3 robot. The robot commander app was fully sick too! It took a few weeks to construct and program them and she could honestly say those were probably one of the best afternoons of her life. She had left over pieces, as Lego always provided extra, and built and programmed her own manipulative arm specifically for the decommissioned police drone. It just so happened that both the drone and the Lego Mindstorms used compatible programming language.

"Hmmm… that hand towel isn't hanging on the rack with all the others. I wonder what surprises it's got for us" said Ayame.

Takumi-kun continued to help himself on his own mini- _arancini,_ but she noticed he left three behind. He always left three pieces of food behind for her when he was eating ever since she told him why the number three was her favourite number in the _Fibbonaci_ sequence. She smiled widely and caught him smirking at her from the side. He was so adorable! She shook her head and refocused her attention. They were already twenty minutes into their hour. The hand towel looked like it was just thrown on the sink in the beautifully organised bathroom. The others were lined neatly and perfectly levelled on the towel rack, like in hotels. How incongruous. Ayame turned the manipulative arm on again and this time used the command pad to control it while she reserved the joystick to flying this time. She carefully turned the hand towel around and around to see if it revealed anything.

Yep.

"Stains" said Takumi-kun.

"What kind?" asked Tadokoro-san.

"Can't exactly tell with night vision, but it's definitely something" said Ayame.

"What do you make of this?" asked Tadokoro-san.

"It's a bit strange. I'm sure Lady Nadeshiko's hand-maids would've removed hand towels immediately after it's been used… and definitely with an ugly stain like that" Takumi-kun answered for Ayame. "But maybe they left it behind and didn't have time to take it away before Senaemon-dono sealed off the room…"

"But it was just _left_ there. Nobody even attempted to wash it under the tap since the stain is still clearly visible! Why bother to move across the room and just leave it on the sink and then come back if they didn't have any intention to wash it? It's more trouble than just leaving it with Lady Nadeshiko… _and then take it back on the way, which is what they're paid for_ " Ayame thought aloud.

"Maybe they simply f-forgot and c-couldn't remove it in time… like h-how they didn't have time to remake her bed after she d-died…" stuttered Tadokoro-san.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"But-"

"I-I think you're overthinking, _mia cara._ There's plenty of place we haven't searched yet" Takumi-kun cut her off before she prepared a school debate.

She'll let this loose thread go… _for now_. Tadokoro-san started to look like she would be eaten.

She felt Takumi-kun rub circles on her back, which he normally did to calm her down. Did he think she wasn't calm right now?! Ayame pursed her lips and she began typing on the command pad and another thin Lego arm appeared in the bathroom mirror. With precise taps on the single key, Ayame began _cutting_ the stained part of the hand towel whilst the main manipulator arm was locked in place by the previous controls. She wasn't going anywhere without that stain. The Swiss army scissor ductaped to the Lego arm was indeed sharp. It took a few nights to work out the mechanics and programme to make it cut, but with the help of a few elastic bands, it worked. She just had to be slower with it. Tadokoro-san watched in utter fascination as Ayame snipped carefully away. Takumi-kun had seen her do this a many times before in preparation for this. She practiced cutting paper with the drone. They both knew that they would have to cut things out to bring back one way or another. The drone was too small to carry anything heavier than a wallet. If there was a call for it, Ayame would only be able to take back a fraction of whatever useful evidence she found, or indeed take pictures or videos, which she was currently doing now and saving the live feed onto her laptop.

"So… It's _possible_ that it wasn't the maid who left it there because they would've been more professional and took it away… it was someone else" concluded Takumi.

"Who was allowed to visit Lady Nadeshiko?" asked Ayame.

"Her family and friends, and the maids, I imagine" offered Tadokoro-san.

"That includes her husband…" said Ayame softly.

Once Ayame managed to snip off the entire area of the stain, she pressed the command buttons and the drone opened up a receptacle and expertly tucked it in to keep it safe. Ideally, she wanted an evidentiary bag or a kitchen zip-lock bag but it would've been too flimsy to carry around with the drone… and too many Lego arms to make and program.

"I don't see anything else odd in the bathroom. Let's check the bed" said Ayame.

The droned hovered over-head, being careful not to hit the ceiling and banked to the left out of the bathroom back towards the bed. Dust kicked up all over the place again as she flew especially close to the window sill. The window that was to the right was boarded up too, making the room completely air tight. The bedsheets of the _futon_ were absolutely gorgeous and Ayame craved to find out what colour they were. The embroidered cranes flying and dancing in the sewn ponds were incredibly detailed and the backdrop of the high mountains provided a relaxing and meditative visage. Judging by the shading, the colours must have been rich and deep. It was shame at the blankets were crinkled and thrown almost off to the side. It looked like the way she would throw off the covers on a blistering hot and humid night.

This must've been the point where Lady Nadeshiko couldn't stop coughing and hacking her lungs away, since that's what nasty respiratory distress could cause.

"Coughing… people usually cough and sneeze away from others. It's a reflex our parents teach us to be polite and not accidentally cover somebody with our germs. This side of the _futon_ faces the window and that area is too small for people to kneel down and sit when visiting. She must cough on that side" said Ayame.

"And?" began Takumi-kun.

"If we're lucky we might find…"

The green-eyed girl pulled back the joystick to pull the drone up and over the raised _futon._ According to her calculations, it was raised about thirty centimetres off the ground. The drone banked to the left towards the side of the window. As soon as she angled the camera and zoomed in—

"There it is… I bet you _that's_ dried blood"

The _tatami_ floor was speckled with dark stains. Darker than the ones on the hand-towel. Judging by the splatter pattern, it sprayed outward as one would expect from a productive blood-filled cough. There wasn't a lot, since Lady Nadeshiko probably tried to cover her mouth with her hand, but luckily a few droplets passed through her fingers. It was impossible to tell with night vision if blood got onto the bedsheets too, because the patterns were just as dark. Damn… cutting the _tatami_ mat would be harder. She had successfully cut a hand towel, so maybe this wouldn't be as hard as she thought. Then she had to pull out the big guns. _Tap tap tap,_ went her fingers over the command pad. The scissors-toting Lego arm retracted and another arm extended to reveal the name-sake of the Swiss Army Knife. The actual knife. Ayame started feeling a bit hot in the barn a she sucked in a breath and lowered the drone. Once it settled at a reasonable height, she angled the knife to get the most force and quickly stabbed it into the _tatami_ mat.

The crackle of knife meeting straw burst from the speakers. Gosh that was loud! She prayed to _Kami-sama_ it wasn't too loud to penetrate through the sealed off walls. Ayame repeated the action a few times at different angles, cringing with each stab, until it successfully went through the mat and met floor boards. She had to jerk the joystick to make the drone flick up because the tip of the knife was kind of stuck, but managed to bump into the raised frame of the _futon_ with a loud thud _._ They were forty-minutes into their hour now so they had to work quickly. Ayame fumbled with the controls momentarily as the stress began to build to make the deadline. She swapped out the Lego arms and brought back the scissors. She gently slid one of the scissor blade through the opening in the _tatami_ and began cutting away.

"Well done, _mia cara_ " Takumi-kun reached over and planted a kiss on the side of her head.

"But the blood stain is sixteen years old. Wouldn't it be useless by now?" asked Tadokoro-san in a worried voice.

"Dried blood samples that's been properly archived for decades with the police due to cold-cases can still be analysed for DNA and toxins if it's reopened. This room has done a good job in keeping things damp-free, light-free and undisturbed for so long, so hopefully the dried blood stain could still yield evidence for hemlock poisoning" said Ayame.

She thought back to the few times when _Otou-san_ mentioned stuff related to his work or in general police work. That sounded like the way she remembered it only with less swearing. It was from a particular night when the Kanda household gathered together to watch a detective movie for some quality family time. _Otou-san_ was being his usual snarky self by criticising and condemning the main protagonist's shoddy crime scene investigation work. She and _Okaa-san_ knew it wasn't a hundred percent accurate portrayal of police procedures, but it was just a movie for _Kami-sama's_ sake!

"But does hemlock have enough time to get into the bloodstream?" asked Tadokoro-san.

"I don't know, but if the blood was coughed out, then so must the saliva. Hopefully the traces of saliva are also mixed with the blood before it dried" said Ayame.

"Are you sure?" asked Tadokoro-san again.

Ayame sighed and crammed all three mini- _arancini_ balls into her mouth. They've gone cold but she didn't care because it was still delicious. She chewed it up animatedly and gulped them all down before speaking.

"My task is to bring back potential evidence. Whether it can be used or not, by whoever has the skills to analyse it is something Isshiki-san needs to figure out. Hopefully, he thought that far" if her frustrations were showing, then she didn't mean it.

"I-I'm sorry, Kanda-san. I-It's just… There's a lot of 'hoping' going on here… and some of us r-rebels don't know what to do…" Tadokoro-san chuckled nervously with a hint of doubt. Ayame felt her heart splinter with shame at the quivering in her small voice.

"Don't worry. Rebellions are built on hope" Takumi-kun exclaimed passionately by Ayame's side. She found Takumi-kun very romantic at this moment.

That seemed to bring confidence back into Tadokoro-san. She could instantly feel them brimming with relief and some measure of forced happiness on either side of her and it brought a magnificent sense of achievement in her heart, despite the large possibility of this failing. This was monumental for the Rebel Alliance and Ayame was proud to be alongside them, whether this was going to work or not. The flutter in her chest intensified as she successfully cut a piece of the _tatami_ flooring with the biggest blood droplet and carefully tucked it into a separate receptacle built into the drone. Wouldn't want cross-contamination. She sighed and relaxed her body into the chair, which she hadn't done ever since they started this whole operation. The mid-afternoon sunlight shone through the highest window of the barn, like sun streaming through the tail stained-glass windows of a cathedral, onto the three teens huddled over a study desk. They were one step closer to bringing down Nakiri Azami, assuming that Isshiki-san was right all along.

Ayame didn't mind doing the leg-work because they were getting there. _So_ getting there, alright.

"Time's almost up. Alice-san and Kuchiyose-san should be on the way back. I hope their meeting with Senzaemon-dono was okay" Tadokoro-san helpfully reminded them.

For Kuchiyose-kun's sake, Ayame hoped their thingy-ma-jig was disaster free too. She, Alice-san and Chizuru-chan both had pretty sore arms forcing him into that really expensive outfit Alice-san bought. That boy was a hot mess. Chizuru-chan tried to use reverse psychology and told him he could just back out now and nobody would see him as a coward. After all, it was the _Demon Food King_ of Japan he was introducing himself to as Nakiri Alice's boyfriend, not just any old grand-dad. He and Alice could make it official in a few year's times, after he built his career a bit first if he still saw himself as unworthy of Alice-san. That seemed to do the trick and Kuchiyose-kun stopped making a fuss. It was one of Chizuru-chan's sub-textual challenges thrown into the ring and there was no way he was going to prove their snappy best-friend was right. Her friends were so odd.

"Oh I almost forgot!" yelled Ayame. "Before leaving, always check the—"

" _Seems like a lot of food when you think the Nakiri family are all on edge"_

" _Nothing makes you hungrier or more tired than anxiety. When my husband lost his job to a disloyal colleague, he ate his way through four bowls of donburi at one sitting and slept around the clock"_

" _Did it make him feel better?"_

" _No, but I think it helped pass the time"_

What was that? Were they maids' voices? _Shit. shit._ Double _shit._ Tadokoro-san clapped a hand over her mouth and Takumi-kun went ram-rod straight. Ayame lowered the drone beside Lady Nadeshiko's futon, but kept the propellers on. She needn't worry about a _stealth_ drone, but she couldn't help feeling antsy anyway. She was too afraid to move it anywhere. There was shuffling on the other side of the wall. So sound could still penetrate through at a reasonable loudness. She knew they were standing right in front of the what used to be the doorway. Damn it! They were stopping and having a chat! Don't they have work to do?! Kuchiyose-kun and Alice-san would surely be almost on their way back now! Maybe she could just hover her way to the doorway and just park in front of it to the side, so at least she'll be ready. Ohh… but she really needed to check the wastepaper-basket before finishing. Searching through the waste-basket could reveal more useful clues on the shady circumstances of Lady Nadeshiko's death, like somebody trying to get rid of other evidence.

" _Bella_ , what are you doing!?" Hissed Takumi-kun. It was as if he was scared the maids, hundreds and hundreds of metres away, could hear them through the screen.

"I need to check the wastepaper-basket" she hissed back, playing along as if they were physically there in Lady Nadeshiko's room.

She carefully manoeuvred the drone and it whizzed silently across the floor space towards the wastepaper basket she earlier spotted near the bedside table. The drone flew higher and Ayame made sure to go slow and angled the camera until they were directly on top. The wind created by the propellers tunneled into the wicker wastepaper basket and its contents cascaded up in the air in a mini tornado. Ayame clucked her tongue in annoyance because she couldn't get a clear visual on what else was in the waste basket with dust and paper flying all over.

"It's just paper" said Tadokoro-san, squinting at the glaring green screen.

"Paper that's been torn up into confetti" Ayame smirked. Who goes through all the trouble of shredding paper into tiny pieces before putting it in the bin? What's so confidential? She began trying to bank the drone to the right, to stop the paper from flying.

 _SLAM!_

"HEY GUYS! YOU GET ANYTHING YET?!"

 _"WAAAHHH!"_

Ayame's hand slipped and jerked the joystick forward. A distinct crunch sounded as the screen rocketed from right to left at dizzying speeds. The Karakura student scrambled to grab the joystick to stop the drone from ricocheting off the wall and the bedside table like a trapped fly. She slammed her fingers on the command buttons to retract all arms from bumping into anything else.

" _Ah… Chiyo-san, did you hear that?"_

Oh no! The maids!

" _YUKIHIRA!_ Can't you see this is a delicate operation?! You almost ruined everything!" Takumi-kun fumed from beside her.

Ayame was too busy trying to convince her soul to stay in her body from being frightened from heaven and back to pay attention to the loud entrance of one Yukihira Souma. Her body was frozen stiff as she hoped the drone was the same. The loud and creaky slam of the barn door continued to reverberate all over the space. Ayame had long acclimated her sense of smell to the fresh hay to the point of no longer noticing it, so a breath of fresh air from the outside world courtesy of Yukihira-san's enthusiastic entrance reminded her she was, yes, still in a barn.

"Oh. My bad, my bad sorry… Did something break?"

"Not _yet_. But if it does, I'll break _you"_ threatened Takumi-kun.

The scruff of shoes traipsing through the hay riddled floor made its way towards them. Ayame breathed out a quite _phew_ and settled the drone down on its feet, turning off the propellers altogether. Just as the boys began to squabble (initiated by Takumi-kun), Ayame angrily quietened them down with a loud and shrill _shooosh!_ So that she could hear the two maids' conversation, to gauge her next course of action. Everybody huddled around and watched the screen and peeled their ear with rapt attention.

" _I could have sworn I heard something… no it was probably n-nothing. Impossible"_

" _I used to get the shivers whenever I pass by this section of the manor. It was the Late Lady Nadeshiko's private room, you know"_

" _Yes, I've heard. I expected the disowned Nakamura Azami to demand to see her room after all these years, but he hasn't"_

" _Quite right too. He doesn't deserve to, especially not after what he did to Erina-sama. It's already bad enough that he was the last person to see Nadeshiko-sama, Kami-sama rest her soul, right before she died"_

WHAT

" _Mio… Dio.._. Ayame, all this is recorded, right?"

"You bet your family-secret _pana cotta_ it is. Which by the way, I'd like some tonight" said Ayame, turning around to beam at her boyfriend.

"Of course, _mia cara"_ he smiled back at her.

"If Azami was the last person to see her alive in that room, then that definitely means he poisoned her himself!"

Maybe yes, maybe no. Either way, Yukihira-san clapped Tadokoro-san on the back, sending her forward before bracing herself again. The red-headed chef's face was full-force sunshine and his golden eyes twinkled in the light streaming into the barn. Even Takumi-kun looked extremely pleased, the area around his beautiful blue eyes crinkled up as he smiled broadly. Each and every student in the barn felt like they were getting closer, and just needed to reach a little more and Nakiri Azami's curse will break, setting the school free.

" _Come on, let's get back to work. The Nakiri's aren't going to pour the tea themselves"_

Ayame sagged in relief as the quiet sound of the maids grew further and further away. Things were definitely looking up. Ayame checked her watch. Five more minutes. They had another puzzle to solve and that involved going through Lady Nadeshiko's wastepaper-basket. Ayame resumed the flight function and extended the manipulator arm. She turned it around and grabbed the rim of the basket. The whole thing was tugged downwards until it fell on its side, sending the torn pieces of paper flying out. Ayame quickly cut of the flight function and the drone fell with a dull thud back onto its feet. Wouldn't want to blow away more potential evidence. Although, she already made a right mess. She'd be sure to apologise somehow for violating Erina-sama's deceased mother's room.

Ayame expected the pieces of paper to be of uniform colour. For example, shouldn't writing paper, or printed paper be white on both sides? But almost half the pieces were dark shades. Upon closer inspection and adjustment of the light sensitivity for the night-vision lens, she carefully flipped a few pieces around with the manipulator arm.

Ah… these were pieces of a photograph. _Ding, ding, ding._

"Ouch, somebody was really pissed, look at how many times that photo's been ripped" commented Yukihira-san.

Ayame continued to turn pieces of ripped paper around, inspecting both the photo side, and the white side.

"Earlier we found a broken photo frame kicked under the vanity. Even the pieces of glass were kicked under it. But no photo… until now— Oh! Look! Look!" Ayame suddenly squealed.

A finger print.

A dark fingerprint on the white side.

"Isshiki-senpai is going to have a _good day"_ Yukihira-san gasped in awe.

"I don't have another receptacle to put this in. I'm going to have to hold onto it like this" Ayame made sure to lock the manipulator arm so that the piece of photo-confetti was secured. She turned on the propellers again and didn't care the paper blew all over the place. She made her way back to where Kuchiyose-kun had first deposited it. Once she made it, she opened all her receptacles for Kuchiyose-kun and Alice-san to see.

"I've asked Alice-san to pack some plastic zip-lock bags and a tweezer in her handbag to put evidence in, so we can keep them as safe and uncontaminated as possible"

Ayame released her fingers from the laptop and the joystick. Her fingers felt sore and severely cramped so she flexed them in and out to get the muscles working again. The skin of her palm was an angry red colour from all her work. Takumi-kun must have noticed because he took her clammy hands in his and started rubbing them together, massaging them. Ayame inwardly purred.

"How fast do you think you can get these analysed?" asked Ayame.

"The only person we know with a microscope or the knowledge for this is Shiomi _-sensei_. But… she'll be leaving Tootsuki by the end of the day" said Yukihira-san, scratching the back of this red-head.

"Oh no! Did she get fired?! Poor Hayama-kun! Is she being kicked out?!" Tadokoro-san bolted to Yukihira-san's side, fear and worry etched across her face, jumping to the worst conclusion. _Shiomi-sensei_ sounded vaguely familiar to Ayame.

"Nah! Actually, she's got a new job. Keep it under your hats though, nobody is supposed to know, even Azami" Yukihira-san waved his arms up and down exaggeratedly and hushed his voice as if there was somebody outside spying on them.

"Where is she going?" asked Takumi-kun.

"To the University of Tokyo"

 _"EEEHHH?!"_

* * *

 **Shiomi is officially safe with a new job, Congratulations girl!** **Kuchiyose. You need to buck up, man. Please. And Alice, cut him some slack. Please.**

 **So what have we got?  
(1) Suspicious stain on an unwashed hand towel in the adjoining bathroom,  
(2) Darker stain which Ayame ASSUMES is blood on the _tatami_ beside the _futon  
_ (3) Single fingerprint on the white side of a torn piece of photo in the bin, that's been aggressively smashed from a photoframe.  
(4) Some chit-chat from the maids - Azami was the last person to see Nadeshiko before she died.**

 **I know the Rebel Alliance are still students and they don't have professional knowledge in what they're doing. All they know is they have to do SOMETHING, which is better than NOTHING. It just means they need help from the 'right' sort of people.** **I was ambitious in this chapter. There's a hell of a lot to take in, but I hope you enjoyed the misadventures Ayame, Takumi, and the gang are trekking in plotting to save the school. I'm pretty sure at this point, this romance story is becoming a murder mystery haha.**

 **I'd love to know what you guys think, see you soon! :)**

 **Signing off**

 **\- TripWire-dono**


	42. Dancing with the Devil

_Chapter 42 - Dancing with the Devil_

* * *

"He's really amped up the security, hasn't he…"

Akira had to park his moped outside the school gates near the mail depot instead of the usual bike and scooter parking inside the campus. He'd also spotted a few more surveillance cameras, extra staff and men in suits patrolling the grounds. A a lot of students peppered across the walkways and courtyard, but the corporate clothing stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the mass of school uniforms. It disgruntled him a bit but it wasn't as if he was a student anymore, so it had nothing to do with him.

That's right.

Hayama Akira was expelled from Tootsuki.

He wasn't surprised when it happened because he knew it would sooner or later. The news of his defeat against Yukihira in one of the biggest _shokugeki_ of the season spread like wild fire that even the newspaper club had trouble publishing fast enough to cover the full story. It was like Central had gotten a snowball in the face thanks to him and it had sparked a rebellious flame in him, however it was quickly stamped down because he had to remember his defeat meant it was the final nail in Jun's coffin. Anyhow, the prolonged expulsion gave Akira an X amount of time to get his shit together before the axe hit the chopping block. There would be no way in hell he would let Azami catch him unprepared. If anything, he would be ready to leave this place with his head held high and with promise of retribution for his pitiful extortion when the right time came. Hayama Akira did exactly that. The bridge was burnt so he might as well dance in the ashes. Karma would glass Azami in the face.

Akira shoved his Tootsuki visitor's pass into his pockets. Fuck wearing that.

Walking for ten minutes through Tootsuki was like walking in a wax museum. Everything was fake. A hollow imitation of what a nurturing school should be. The spices, the ingredients, and the condiments smelt the same everywhere he went and it was disappointing. Akira used to liken walking in between classes and buildings to the Night Noodle Markets of Chiba. A famous food festival hosted every Friday night in Jun's mentor's old home town. People far and wide would come to enjoy the fantastic flavours of the special local street food and unique dishes the region had to offer. There would be heady and fragrant mixtures of delicious scents coming from the class kitchens and RS buildings, which were the life essence of the great culinary school. He could walk blindfolded and tell which building he was in simply from knowing the scent of the Spanish RS over here, Chocolate RS over there, _Teppanyaki_ RS about thirty metres away, Don RS around that corner and such. But right now, there were no such diversity thanks to the fascist system put in place by the Azami administration. Despite the smell of five-star dishes from the new practicum classes, Akira inwardly admonished the students.

' _Trading integrity for power... this is the world we live in now'_

Akira swung the lanyard of his and Jun's old seminar keys in his hands. They told him they hadn't changed the locks yet, so that was one extra thing going for him. There were a few belongongs he needed to pick up to fully move into his new apartment. He smirked. It turned out, one didn't need to finish education at Tootsuki to find jobs in a decent restaurant.

Akira smoothed down his new grey and black plaid shirt. The fabric was a bit stiff and it felt a bit unusual on his skin, but it was comfortable enough. He was far used to his usual short sleeve grand-dad shirts, which he'd worn so many times that the fabric worn thin until it was baby-soft. Usually Jun insisted her job as his adopted guardian was to clothe him, and he of course would try to stop her from mothering him so much. Technically it was her responsibility, but he didn't her too. Not after everything she had already done for him and more. Her money should be used for her own professional development. He could take care of everything else. Akira had youth allowance from the Japanese government after all, since he was made into a Japanese citizen shortly after adoption, and so had bought his own things. But because the youth allowance wasn't actually _that_ much, he used his money sparingly and only on the bare essentials.

With his new job, this was the first time in a while he had bought new clothes for himself.

As soon as Akira reached the old spice seminar building he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The lingering scent of the old spice and spice plants he used to grow permeated the walls. He had fond memories, he wouldn't lie about that. He and Jun were happy there. It was just two of them when Professor Hayama retired and returned to his hometown in Chiba. He could fill up a notebook of why it wasn't fair that he and Jun were thrown out of their work and home, but it wouldn't change the path that fate and destiny had given them.

His footsteps felt like lead as he stood in front of the door. He ignored the harshness of the reality that this building wasn't his and Jun's anymore, and got the hell on with it. Tootsuki had repossessed all of their scientific equipment except for a few things Jun personally invested in and some keepsakes he couldn't take with him in one trip, so he had to pick them up in person in his own time. He inserted the key and twisted the knob.

It was already unlocked.

That was weird.

Once Akira opened the door, he was met with an even weirder sight.

"Isshiki-senpai? Yukihira? Aldini? What the hell are you guys doing in here?"

Three pairs of eyes turned to him in shock. Akira had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Isshiki-senpai was sitting in an office wheelie chair in the middle of the empty room. His legs were crossed together and his hands were neatly folded in his lap. His eyes crinkled in a gentle smile. Why was always looking happy?! And not only that, his smiles gave Akira the creeps. Yukihira was sitting cross legged in his own wheelie chair like the fucking peasant he was. His arms rested behind his head as he blinked in surprise at Akira before the golden orbs melted into… what was it… embarrassment? Meanwhile Aldini was leaning against the far end of the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His blue eyes grazed over Akira's form, not used to the sudden change in his clothing style. Between the three of them was a small box filled with only three ziplock bags and in each of them were just random things. A dirty piece of a fabric, piece of something made of straw and a ripped piece of paper with dirt marks.

"You almost scared us there Hayama-kun" said Isshiki-senpai with a smile.

"Can't be too careful these days. We gotta keep zig-zagging if we wanna throw Azami's guys off our scent" said Yukihira.

"What are you talking about?" Akira wrinkled his nose.

"We've been having Rebel Alliance meetings under Director Azami's nose. We like to _'switch it up'_ a bit, as they say. Never staying in the same place twice" answered Isshiki-senpai with a placid smile.

"And… you're using the spice seminar room?"

"Azami's men don't come here anymore. They've finished nicking all your stuff…" said Yukihira, gesturing his arms out widely, referring to the sad and barren room.

"Don't tell anyone you found us here, Hayama" said Aldini from across the space.

"Whatever. I came to get a few things anyway" Akira huffed and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't give a shit what they were doing.

Just as he turned away, he caught Yukihira's gaze. He stared at him with beseeching gold eyes as if to ask: _'We're okay now… right?'_ and that there wasn't any bad blood between them despite everything that had happened… was there? Because when Akira looked at the situation, if he hadn't lost against Yukihira, Jun wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to win an even _better_ job with a _better_ boss. He wouldn't have found a job himself as the assistant chef at a trendy new reputable restaurant in the heart of Karakura honchou to jump-start his own career. He wouldn't be renting his own apartment using his hard- earned savings and new pay cheque and living an independent life style.

Losing against Yukihira in that match was probably the second best thing that happened to him, second to being adopted by Jun.

So no, be stared back down at Yukihira with a light smirk in his gleaming greens eyes. There was no bad blood between them.

Before the moment could get awkward, Akira made his way over to the long cupboard at the end of the seminar room. He tried to pretend none of them were there, but it was difficult when people were suddenly occupying _his_ space, which was in fact no longer his. But he felt territorial nonetheless. He concentrated on teasing out the wooden panel at the back of the cupboard to reveal a stone-cold safety deposit box. The safety-deposit box didn't really belong to him and Jun, it more like belonged to Professor Hayama, his godfather who was also Jun's old mentor and the previous professor of the spice seminar. He and Jun never used it. Honestly, he had forgotten it was every there half the time. However, Professor Hayama suddenly called from his retirement home in Chiba to ask him to empty it for him and send over the stuff. The bald and moustached Professor was also the only person other than Jun who recognise his gifted sense of smell and great potential in him to become a chef. He bestowed him his first real full name.

Hayama Akira

 _Akira_. They believed he would light up the world.

He felt more like a lamp right now.

He blew his silver fringe from his eyes and rolled up his left sleeve to see the combination numbers he had quickly scribbled on his wrist. He twisted the metal knob according to the number, listening to the correct series of clicks until the microwave-sized door swung open.

"How is everything with you, Hayama-kun?" asked Isshiki-senpai.

"Alright for now. Got a job" he replied, his voice sounding louder in the cramped space.

Akira pulled out a stack of documents and folders from the safety deposit box. It was heavier than he expected, so he took is time to carefully shuffle it out the cupboard. It hadn't been cleaned in a while and cringed when his sleeves scooped up some dust and crumbs.

"Oh yeah? Congrats! Where at?" asked Yukihira. He could hear the red-headed chef jumping up from his chair, his feet scuffing against the floor as he walked towards Akira. He was as clingy as a common cold.

"Assistant chef at _Zesar_. It's a small Middle Eastern place in Karakura honchou" grunted Akira.

He first came across it on his way back from Jun's job interview with the Faculty of Chinese Herbal Medicine at the University of Tokyo. The exotic smell of spices, both familiar and foreign slammed him in the nose. The intensity was unlike anything that ever graced his flaring nostril. The sound of a foreign language, rough and guttural also attracted him to the door. The restaurant was lightly decorated with tasteful Middle Eastern décor mixed with some contemporary art. It wasn't enough to be a restaurant, but it was more than a diner. Then he'd notice a sign asking "help wanted". He immediately inquired because he would regret it if he didn't. As it turned out, they needed an assistant chef. The head chef came out, a huge man from a Middle Eastern descent eyed him up and down, snorted as if disappointed that it was a scrawny kid like Akira, but also impressed that a young student showed initiative to ask for work. His chef's uniform barely fitted across his muscular body, and the muscles in his burly arms clenched and unclenched until Akira could see the veins pop.

The head chef fired him a series of basic questions, which he answered. The small restaurant wasn't opened yet, so the head chef gave him free reign of the kitchen to demonstrate his skills as the final test to see what he was made of while Jun cheered him on from the side.

' _I see continental spice is your soul. You come from school. Like blank stone. If want to master spices of your blood country. You come again, sahib'_

He called himself Mohammed, a humble but highly disciplined chef of the Middle Eastern and East Asian Cuisine with thirty years' experience. Even though Akira remembered he was from Bangladesh and perfectly assimilated into the Japanese society, he still felt he was a… _gaijin…_ was what people called him from behind his back. There was something about the Middle Eastern cuisine and the spices they had that called to him, that made him feel right. He wanted to learn more from this enigmatic head chef and Jun was more than happy for him to begin his training with Mohammed in _Zesar._ It was a strange feeling. There was a sense of belonging he felt in that place that was totally different to the sense of belonging he felt with Jun or with Tootsuki. Jun explained to him that it was normal for him to seek connection with something close to his roots.

"Ayame and I've been to _Zesar_ before. She's crazy about their halal snack-pack. She always orders extra garlic sauce" commented Aldini.

"You guys found a place that does halal-snack packs but you _don't share?_ I wanna tag along with you guys next time!" yelled Yukihira.

"I'm not having you third-whe—"

"Congratulations on Shiomi-sensei getting a job at Toudai as well. You must be relieved" Isshiki-senpai cut through the petty slap-fest Yukihira and Aldini were amusingly notorious for.

 _BANG_

Akira jerked in surprise and bumped his head inside the cupboard. He stopped to cuss and rub his scalp.

"H-How did you know that?"

"Arato-san told us"

Ah.

Jun was officially starting next week as a researcher under Dr. Haruno Sakura at the University of Tokyo. That job opportunity for Jun was like crawling on all fours, and then spotting an oasis in the middle of a scorching dessert as soon as he was going to give up on life. He wasn't sure if it was real or a mirage, but he had to hope it was real. That phone call from the mysterious guy with the country twang gave him hope, a sensation he hadn't felt since he first met Jun in the slums of Bangladesh. It couldn't have been a coincident that a miracle presented itself at probably the lowest point in his life in Japan, so he had to pursue the matter until the caller revealed it had something to do with Arato Hisako.

Out of all people, her?

About a week after the phone call, Arato came at him out of nowhere and thrusted a padded envelope into his hands with not so much as a greeting except whispering to open it when he and Jun were in a safe place. She smiled at him, a smile that was full of good fortune before she jetted off, probably to attend to Nakiri Erina's beck-and-call. He didn't even get a chance to ask what the fuck was in the envelope because she'd already vanished down the hallway into a sea of students. So he opened it with Jun in his room. It was the job information pack as the caller had promised. He wondered how did Arato create such connections. He really underestimated her networking abilities.

"Yeah. Jun's in a better place now"

Akira heaved the bounty from the safety deposit box and slammed the door shut with a loud boom. He re-arranged the bundle of documents and folders in his arms. He should've brought a cardboard box, or a tote-bag to carry all this in or something. He had no idea there was that many documents.

"—Namikaze and Terunori-senpai eat halal snack-packs together too. Why don't you join them?" Aldini said firmly to a pouting Yukihira.

What.

Akira's momentary lapse in concentration at the idea of Namikaze and Terunori-senpai eating together caused the documents to slip from his arms. The first folder fell to the floor with a loud smack and slid towards Yukihira. Akira cursed his rare bout of clumsiness and tried to shuffle everything into one arm before the rest avalanched and he had to spend a whole afternoon picking them up and organising them together. Yukihira got to the rogue folder before he did and like the nosy bastard he was, flicked it open to the first page.

"Woah. What's this research paper about _chromatography_? Does it even have anything to do with food?" asked Yukihira in confusion. That seemed to pique Aldini's and Isshiki-senpai's cuiriosity also.

"These papers aren't mine. They were written by Professor Hayama ages ago, but he left them here because he didn't have room to keep it back at his home. He used to be a forensic chemist before he quit and studied to become a spice researcher" explained Akira in an exasperated voice.

Professor Hayama used to be the forensic chemist for the police in the Chiba prefecture in the Kantou region _way_ before he became a lecturer at Tootsuki. However, events took a downward turn and one particular case ignited Professor Hayama's sudden sea change to entirely quit his profession and do something else. The story as he remembered it, was that one of the police teams were sloppy with their work. They brought back a sample of something that had no identification for him to test and analyse. They seemed to be in a rush and wanted it done immediately so he did it anyway.

It was then he realised that it was a piece of mouldy lung tissue from the body of a young dead girl found at the bottom of a lake from a murder that happened thirteen years earlier.

The police didn't tell him.

He wore no protective gear.

It wasn't the first time the police team treated their forensics lab with disrespect.

So he immediately quit, decided he was out of there and wanted to study food chemistry specialising in spices because it had nothing to do with forensic chemistry, and hadn't looked back since.

Akira looked up.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…What are you looking at?"

Yukihira, Isshiki-senpai and Aldini gawked at him with wide and shocked eyes. Their irises were shimmering as if they were dogs being given their favourite treat. Isshiki-senpai was now standing, his wheelie chair forgotten as it skidded across the room and Aldini had already pushed himself off the wall. The documents laid limp in Yukihira's grasp and Akira easily slipped it out of his hands without him batting an eye. Even their jaws fell slack. Akira was feeling down-right creepy about this. Why the fuck were they staring at him like that?!

"Forensic chemist… like… working with chemicals, blood and stuff?" asked Yukihira. His voice started to sound much too interested for what was considered normal and Akira felt the hair on his arms raise from the intensity of his stare.

"I guess… back in Chiba. He used to identify unknown materials and substances from crime scenes. He still has his equipment and stuff with him in his retirement home. Chromatography was one way of—"

Akira suddenly narrowed his eyes at them

"Cut it out. You guys are being fucking creepy. What's going on?" he growled.

"Oh Hayama-kun… you really are a blessing in disguise" chimed the auburn haired ex-seventh seater.

"Excuse me?" asked Akira incredulously.

"Do you suppose you could give us Professor Hayama's contact details?" asked Isshiki-senpai with palpable excitement. He all but shoved Yukihira out of the way and clasped his arms together in front of Akira, extremely excited and happy for some strange reason. He should've picked another day to come grab this things…

"What for?" asked Akira, his pulsing rising.

"We have a way for dethroning Azami and with Professor Hayama's help, we could make that into a reality"

He gestured his hands towards the box on the floor.

"We need Professor Hayama to test for hemlock poisoning on these items"

* * *

 **Two weeks later**

"So Isshiki-san found someone to analyse the evidence!" squealed Ayame-chan.

Chizuru nodded. She was surprised there was more progress. She continued to dust the book shelves in Kojima-san's store. When asking how her day was, Chizuru would say _'Nothing much. Got caught trying to call in sick to get out of long-division. Ended up in detention but boy, the weather's lovely, isn't it?'._ However, when asking Ayame-chan or her boyfriend and his brother the same thing, all they ever talked were their plans for restoring Tootsuki to its former glory. There were additional jabs to their usurping Director's character to boot on special occasions. It was pretty exciting news each time, and Chizuru was happy that Ayame-chan was getting a kick out of it, because exciting news was better than boring mundane ones. There weren't other school that could do the things these gutsy Tootsuki students could do. But on the inside she was internally glad that nobody asked for _her_ assistance, except to threaten Kuchiyose-kun to shut up and get into the god-damn suit, because she really didn't want to be caught in the mess if things went south.

It was a sunny afternoon and Ayame-chan wanted to accompany Chizuru to her after-school part-time work and continue to hang-out. Kuchiyose-kun had called in absent from school today and the school soccer team flew into a blind panic over their star player contracting an ailment. He wasn't sick, he was just suffering complications from an anxiety attack. Chizuru texted their wayward friend that he was going to receive a whole team of visitors lugging baskets of get-well fruits and vegetables to pray for his recovery. All Kuchiyose-kun needed was a magical kiss from Alice-san dressed like a sexy nurse and he'll be fine. It wasn't a good idea to talk about Tootsuki related things in Karakura High school, so they kept hush-hush about it until they reached _Kojima shouten._

"Who was it?"

"A retired professor who used to lead the spice seminar at Tootsuki many years ago. He lives in Chiba now. Apparently he used to be a forensic chemist! He's so kind to be helping them. What a stroke of luck!" replied Ayame-chan with a lot of enthusiasm.

There seemed to be a plethora of luck going on for them. She didn't want to jinx it for Ayame-chan so she didn't say anything. Chizuru replied with a _'not bad'_ facial expression which she was accustomed to making when Terunori took her to a decent place to eat after work and the food was to her liking. It was a thing now. After work was snacking around town with happy-go-lucky Terunori Kuga as he jibber-jabbered about his day. Chizuru had already begun paying for her own meals when she accompanied him. It was a tough battle initially because the stubborn jerk would have none of that, wanting to find every opportunity to boast and use his club funds. That was until she beat him to the punch and then he gave up on paying for her meals. What's with boys wanting to pay for everything? Was it a chivalry thing? Oh… that wasn't fair to say, Kuchiyose-kun never paid for her or Ayame-chan when they went out to eat…

Chizuru paused her inner monologue and Ayame-chan continued her merry chatter.

"They found that the stain on the hand-towel was black tea. When tea oxidises, the stains get stronger and tougher, binding any other chemicals already in more strongly That's why it's survived for so long. The professor found traces of _coniine_ in the black tea stain. Coniine is a plant alkaloid found in poison hemlock that gives it its deadly toxicity _._ It's similar to nicotine. There's five other poisonous alkaloids in poison hemlock, which the professor found, but coniine is the important one"

Chizuru continued to nod and hum in agreement. She found another cicada shell. Better do something about that before it became a pandemic…

"They think that Lady Nadeshiko's tea was spiked with hemlock. Not enough to instantly kill her, but enough to probably prolong her symptoms to make it look like an illness rather than poison. So Director Azami must have been very careful of the dosage"

Chizuru shook her head.

"That's a sick mind right there. How does he _watch_ his wife die a little more inside each day and _adjust_ the amount of poison to get the timing just right?" piped up Chizuru, adding to the conversation.

Ayame-chan nodded solemnly and continued to browse the books, following Chizuru as she made her weaved between bookshelves. Every time she found a book out of place, she pulled it out and placed it in a neat pile off to the side so she could shelve it later. It helped to make it look like she was very busy before Terunori came, it lessened the chances of him taking her out because right now, she wanted to spend more time with Ayame-chan. Ayame-chan's involvement in Tootsuki's affairs were pretty regular, and was taking up more of her time. It was a wonder that her father hadn't confronted her about it, or even looked like he knew anything was happening. Or maybe he _did_ know but he didn't give a shit, because if anything happened he had the power to protect Ayame-chan and cover everything up. Chizuru shivered at the thought. That would be super scary… Ayame-chan was convinced that her father was way too busy with other important cases as the precinct to worry about her. After all, she had proven that she could take care of herself and was able to make her own decisions when he wasn't around.

The light jingling sound of the bell broke the atmosphere. Chizuru looked over to check if it was a customer, but it was only her grubby boss coming back from an _izakaya._ He snorted in a disgusting manner and wiped his nose on his browning sleeve. He squinted his eyes and craned his neck at the two girls. Once he knew it was Chizuru, he glared at Ayame-chan.

"Ah… it's just you" he grunted, pulling out a used cigarette from his pocket and popping it between his chapped lips.

"Good afternoon, Kojima-san" Ayame-chan chirped and bowed.

"Yeah… I'd love to stay and chat, but you know, I'd rather have type-two diabetes" he grumbled at her.

Her miserable boss went back to completely disregarding the two girls with a vague and dismissive wave before stomping haphazardly towards the backroom He disappeared behind the partition with a great flourish. She couldn't say that was any worse than the other times.

"I think he's warming up to you" sniggered Chizuru.

"… You think…?" Ayame-chan deadpanned, cocking her hips to the side.

While Kojima-san and Terunori got along like a house on fire, Ayame-chan was more placid towards her unreasonable boss. Kojima-san really didn't know what to do with high school girls like Ayame-chan. All respectful, intelligent, quiet, demure, happy smiles and pretty much harmless. It's like his brain just does a memory dump, comes up with nothing that could troubleshoot him to dealing with his employee's friend and ends up trying to ignore her altogether. This time he responded, even if it wasn't appropriate in the slightest, but he was making a semblance of effort in interacting with another human being on his own volition that did not include selling a book. Chizuru guessed he was more used to people who were loud, noisy, had rough exteriors and maybe crude like herself and Terunori. Also Kojima-san and Terunori always had this look on their face as if they were talking about her behind her back and it got on her nerves…

…Then there was the enigmatic and cheeky glint in his sharp eyes whenever the afternoon sunlight caught him in just the right moment…

…The obvious quirk in his lips that made her stomach squeeze in anticipation whenever she ate something of his…

…The dorky way he puffed up his chest with over-inflated pride to try and gain the extra inch off of her…

…The new game he played where he invaded her personal space to block her from side-stepping around him whenever she moved from shelf to shelf…

…The idea that maybe the reason why he came around to the shop so often was because he actually lik—

 _'Nope!_ _I'm not gonna think about Terunori_ … _None of that means ANYTHING._ _He_ _only comes around because he derives egotistical pleasure from annoying the hell out of me. That's right. I'm just his spare time away from Tootsuki. Ayame-chan is wrong, he doesn't like me THAT way. But damn it for planting that seed in my head! It's driving me fucking crazy!'_

Thankfully Ayame-chan continued on before Chizuru could accidentally vent her anguished thoughts aloud.

"Also, it turned out that the DNA in the blood sample from the piece of _tatami_ mat was identified as _female_ and matched with the one on the ripped photo. The _age_ of both blood stains matched too. Sixteen years and four months. That was exactly when Lady Nadeshiko died"

"I understand testing for DNA matches, but how do you even tell how old blood is?" asked Chizuru.

She was genuinely interested but her face wasn't showing it because she was annoyed about the over-abundance of cicada shells invading the top shelf. What on Earth was happening when she wasn't around to take of this whole place! She was going to have a word with Kojima-san, preferably before Terunori arrives.

"To answer your question: There are these temporary molecules in our cells, such as blood cells, called _messenger RNA_ or mRNA for short. Their job is to carry out instructions for our DNA. Because you know, DNA is inert. It _holds_ our genetic information, but it doesn't _go_ anywhere or _do_ anything. So It uses mRNA like an errand boy to tell each cell what do, and how to do it according to our DNA instructions, for the enzymes in the cells to get stuff done. Anyway, mRNA molecules _degrade_ at a measurable rate which can be calculated to tell how old a sample is"

"Mhmm" Chizuru nodded with pride "Not just physics in that noggin of yours"

"Ninety-seven percent on that last biology exam" replied Ayame-chan

"Don't rub it in… What about identifying gender in blood samples? How do scientists find that out?" asked Chizuru.

"…fluorescence in situ hybridization using chromosome X and Y centromeric probes…" muttered Ayame-chan after a long pause.

"… and that means…?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm just repeating what Takumi-kun said. He told me he practiced really hard to memorise the name of that technique to impress me"

Ayame-chan pressed both her hands to her cheeks and sighed longingly. Oh dear, she was getting that glazed look in her eyes when she day-dreamed about _Ezio._ It kind of looked the same as the one for _tiramisu?_ She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, making the floor creak beneath the carpet. Clearly, she was filling up with romantic thoughts for her romantic boyfriend. She didn't know any other couple were more into each other. It was gross.

"Once what you find out what fluorescence in hydro-X-Y whatsit, tell me all about it" chuckled Chizuru.

"And guess what?!"

Chizuru halted abruptly when Ayame-chan rounded on her and grabbed her shoulders from the front. She almost smacked her forehead against Ayame-chan's! Excitement beamed from her eyes and her smile was so big it took over her bright face. No wonder why _Ezio_ liked to pinch her cheeks. Chizuru blinked a few times to shed the shock from her system.

"Wh-What?"

"The professor said the blood-stained fingerprint on the ripped photo was actually a thumbprint. It matched another thumbprint sample Alice-san got from Director Azami's iPad screen! So he really was there tearing the photo to pieces, with her blood on his fingers, right before she died just as those maids said!"

"Woah! Hang on a minute! H-How did she get another fingerprint sample? Was there a phase _three_ in this operation, that I didn't know about?" asked Chizuru with zero confidence and one hundred percent doubt. She didn't hear anything about this part of their plans. What gives! Director Azami didn't seem to be the type to leave his many million iPad's lying around for his niece to pick up and fiddle with either…

"I wasn't there when it happened, but Alice-san did it without getting caught and _it matched"_ said Ayame-chan with hyped animation.

She released her deadly grip from the short girl with a small shove and spun off in the other direction. Chizuru sighed and turned up the corner of her mouth as she grinned lopsidedly at Ayame-chan. She gave up asking the small details. She was such a goof. No wonder why _Ezio_ is head over heels in love with her. He was a goof-ball too. They were utter dorks. She continued on her way weeding out books, straightening it up and dusting.

"Hey Chizuru-chan, why do you have a coffee pot on the floor?"

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

At the mentioned of the coffee pot on the floor, Chizuru dropped the feather duster, dived out and grabbed Ayame-chan's arm and dragged her away as quick as lightning. She was literally running on instincts. The green-eyed girl shrieked and stumbled over her own two feet, but Chizuru made sure to help right her up again, standing in front of her best friend. The two girls clutched each other for dear life.

"What on Earth was _that_ for?!"

Her best-friend snapped her head in her direction with a severely miffed expression, her narrowed eyes demanding an explanation worthy of the Emperor. Chizuru cringed from Ayame-chan's long midnight-black whip-lashing her across the cheeks. She mustered her best apologetic face. Ayame-chan yanked her arms from Chizuru's protective grasp and crossed it over her chest. Her foot tapped rapidly on the carpet, waiting for an answer like a pissed off mum.

"Okay, there's this… I-It's a… It's a… I don't know. We just call it… _the thing_ …"

 _"What_ thing?"

"It lives in the coffee pot"

Ayame-chan's face fell dramatically. She looked back at the Italian style coffee pot and raised an unimpressed brow at it. It sounded so lame right now! And Ayame-chan wasn't stupid enough to buy it. Chizuru wiped her hands on her work apron and fisted them over her eyes. It was so hard to explain because she and Kojima-san had only discovered it a month ago. 'Discovered' was a really loose term because they never actually saw… _the thing_. Initially, they didn't even know if… _the thing…_ was animal, vegetable or mineral. All they knew was that it moved, it ate and it made noise. Chizuru and Kojima-san decided it was a mysterious creature which somehow decided to inhabit the dirty bookshop a long time ago, and came out of hibernation a month ago. One would blink and miss it entirely. It scuttled and scavenged around, away from human sight into dark corners. Both Chizuru and Kojima-san tried to set up a motion sensor camera for the night to get a footage of… _the thing…_ but all they got were unidentified blurs. One afternoon, they found Kojima-san's old Italian coffee pot sitting in the far corner of the store and none of them remembered ever putting it there. Also none of them could get near it because it began rattling and soft growling noises churned from inside it when they stepped within two feet of the Italian coffee pot. It was really spooky. There was only one explanation for it.

 _The_ _thing…_ liked the coffee pot.

Very.

Much.

"We umm… chuck a banana near the coffee pot every afternoon. Keeps it happy. It only takes it when we're not looking and umm… leaves the peel behind"

" _What?"_

"Look, please don't ask anymore! Don't go near the coffee pot again. Terunori didn't listen to me the first time and I had to take him to the doctor for stitches"

Chizuru was almost on the brink of crying in desperation because she hated to explain things she herself didn't understand in the first place. It strained too much of her brain power. She was sure Kojima-san, herself and… _the thing_ … were almost friends now, and she didn't want anything to disturb the harmony of the place and have a repeat episode of taking Terunori to the doctors again. Ayame-chan blinked really hard and shook her head in disbelief. She raised her arms up in awkward surrender and backed up slowly away from the Italian coffee pot. That's when Chizuru knew she gave in to the madness of _Kojima Shouten_ because there was no amount of science or logic to explain… _the thing_ … Ayame-chan probably stored this highly unusual event in the 'whatever' portion of her mind to deal with in her own time.

"There's another problem too" said Ayame-chan, getting back on topic.

Oh boy. There was always a hitch. This was where the luck ran out right? Chizuru knew there had to be a catch somewhere. Nobody had a winning streak like that. The short girl peeped around the side of the shelf and watched Ayame-chan closely. She was pulling at a loose thread on her beige school vest, and her eyes had a faraway look as she gazed out the shop window.

"It doesn't rule out the possibility of somebody _framing_ Director Azami for poisoning his wife. There's nothing to directly link him to the poison hemlock" said Ayame-chan forlornly.

Chizuru rolled her eyes. So was the whole operation with the spy drone for nothing? Now who the fuck invited the big blue whale into the pool party? Just when she thought everything would be solved and Tootsuki could live happily ever after and Ayame-chan and _Ezio_ could live happily ever after. Why was everybody over-thinking this?

"We need more evidence… more information. We just don't know how to get it" said Ayame-chan. She grazed her finger tips along the spine of the books then let her arms drop to her side.

If Tootsuki didn't fix this up, everyone would graduate before they could make any more headway. This plan was just unravelling in unlikely places and she didn't know how the Tootsuki students could pick up all the pieces together before the whole plan disintegrated before their very eyes. They were only sixteen or seventeen years old. What could they hope to achieve against an army of adult professionals in liege with a mentally depraved man?

"But Isshiki-san knows somebody who does" said Ayame-chan.

"Who?"

"You won't believe it, Chizuru-chan" said Ayame, scuffing the tips of her shoes against the carpet. "Who better to get more information from than the person who buys and sells it"

Chizuru froze.

"No way…"

Ayame-chan nodded. _Yes way._

"You're not fucking serious… _that_ guy?! _The information broker?!_ The sleazy motherfucker you told me about who helped Azami fuck Tootsuki over?! But he's a _criminal!_ "

"The criminal with probably all the answers. The one and only… Orihara Izaya"

* * *

Satoshi refrained from shivering in his plastic chair. This small and square concrete room was nostalgic, but not in a pleasant way. It had been a while since he'd visited Eizan-kun. But alas, he'd been very busy and he wasn't visiting Eizan-kun this time. The dampness was betrayed by the leaking air conditioning machine bolted in the corner. It hummed long and droning. When was the last time he had sleep? The events that turned occupied his mind like no other. He was always thinking what was the next step? Is there another route? Did he cover all the bases? Surely he wasn't the right person to be coordinating these scheming plans behind Director Azami, but he was the best person the Rebel Alliance had. The evidence that Kanda-san procured the results they needed, but the inescapable feeling of insufficiency was the elephant in the room. The drone operation didn't go to waste, but it was the step in the right direction. Satoshi jigged his knees up and down. He was very nervous. He'd never seen or spoken to the man he was about to meet in person before, but he was ready. He felt like he had nothing to lose in this endeavour.

The rusted groan of the isolated visitor's door finally opened. The clinking of shuffling and chain met his ears and Satoshi was compelled to turn his auburn head towards the guest of honour. Rust-red eyes mocked him and a devious grin invited a sense of doom. His picture did him no justice. His green prison uniform did nothing to make him look less threatening. The guards walked Orihara Izaya, the notorious underground information broker to the seat opposite Satoshi. He could tell the guards were surprised he had any visitors to begin with.

Once Orihara was shoved into the seat, he grinned wide and proud. He never took his eyes off of Satoshi, making him feel anxious even more. The guards bolted the prisoner's hand-cuff chains to the metal table, which Satoshi had only realised now that they replaced the usual metal table with the interrogation one. The police were taking no chances. _Kami-sama…_ what was he getting himself into.

" _You must truly be desperate to come to me for help"_ Orihara sneered.

His black hair had intruded on his face. It had grown longer. However, the glittering malice in those devilish eyes could still be clearly seen peaking beneath the inky strands of hair like a water-beast beneath the murky depths of a loch. His pale and pasty skin glowed like the moon in this dark room, almost haunting. He didn't look human. Not totally. His wide smirk continued to push Satoshi over the brink of composure but he held on tight.

"What makes you think that, Orihara-san?" he asked, making his voice as even as possible.

"Why else would you be here, Isshiki-kun?"

Satoshi bit back a grimace and kept his face painfully neutral. Orihara knew him. Didn't know how, but he did. The back and forth game had already started. The prisoner leaned back and sighed, wriggling his bottom to make a show of getting comfy, but his wrists confined to the table restricted his movements. The chains echoed off the walls. He looked at Satoshi from down his pointed nose.

"Make sure you ask the right question because this is our only chance for girl-talk" exhaled the information broker.

"What do mean?" asked Satoshi, narrowing his eyes.

"They're taking me away. To a more suitable place"

"Where?"

"It's called _Goteijuusantai_ "

" _Thirteen… Court Guards?"_ Satoshi roughly translated the different meanings got for what _gotei_ could mean in his head without seeing the _kanji_ script. He had never heard of such a thing.

"Correct. It's an island. Guarded by thirteen phenomenally skilled individuals and their teams as the name suggests. It's a very secure and secret installation with the sole purpose of trapping the demons beneath the road you humans walk on. Demon's like me.

"A maximum security prison, then" commented Satoshi.

"You couldn't be more wrong" Orihara cackled. "It's built for what the government calls _The Un-containables._ It's more than a prison or an asylum. It's a fortress built to keep the rest of Japan safe from what's inside it. Heaven may be a fantasy for the credulous and afraid"

He leaned forward onto the table.

"But there is a map reference for _hell"_

A moment of silence passed between them as Satoshi weighed up this information. If Orihara deserved to be sentenced to that place, then he was far too dangerous to keep around other prisoners. The said prisoner opposite him looked too proud of himself. Satoshi felt sweat building in his underarms and his forehead despite the frigid room. The ex-seventh seater couldn't even begin to fathom the full extent of Orihara Izaya's networking abilities. It was painfully clear that his long fingers stretched deep into the black pool of top secret and highly classified information held by the Japanese government. Not by the Japanese government, the secret part of the government that not even the government itself knew about. Information that could get people killed to keep quiet, and would buy with all the gold in the world. He was a terrible force to be reckoned with and it was no wonder he was able to evade prison for so long. There was no telling what secrets he could spill to enemy countries if the government even breathed in his direction. He was virtually untouchable. But not anymore. Satoshi cleared his mind and forced himself to stay on track.

"I just want you to tell me everything you know about the murder of Nakiri Azami's wife" said Satoshi.

"Why would I know that?"

"You helped him to take over Tootsuki _._ Therefore, you _must_ know everything about it"

Orihara started chuckling. It was a sinister laugh that sent chills down Satoshi's spine. Orihara was a perfect combination of beauty and ugliness. Trickery and illusions.

"That's a pretty tall order. I hope you can pay up" replied Orihara.

"Payment?"

"Just because I'm in jail, it doesn't mean I do things for free" he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and started pumping his tongue inside his cheek with a wiggle of his thin eyebrows for good measure.

"What do you want…" Satoshi conceded.

"Kobayashi… Rindou…"

Satoshi's breath hitched. His eyes flicked up to the man opposite him and he was already drowning in twin pools of blood, staring with such intensity into his soul. He gritted his teeth until his jaw was sore as anger pumped through his arteries. Ever since Rindou-san came back from her first year _stagiare,_ she was never the same again. A part of her was twisted in some way. Out of place. Disproportionate. _Tainted._ It wasn't until later he discovered she met somebody in Ikebukuro who she feared and at the same time, was addicted to. She was consumed by him. Orihara Izaya. He found out just before she flew back to New York, when he finally forced her talk about her experiences that changed her. That _broke_ her. As a classmate, he felt protective of her. Rindou-san and Orihara shared a history, dare say _relationship_ together and to his horror it wasn't a good one either. Their relationship was filled with cracks held together by tight and festering stitches.

The way Orihara was grinning at him was purely out of unhealthy obsession.

"You can't have her" said Satoshi firmly. His fingers fisting together against his pant leggings.

"Heh. So naïve. I just want you to give her a message from me"

He leaned forward, his grin growing more maniacal, but his eyes softened just a little.

"Tell her where I'm going _"_ he said.

"That's all?" asked Satoshi.

"Yep"

Why would Orihara want her to know? There wasn't any point. He was going to rot in _Goteijuusantai_ or whatever it was called. Rindou-san couldn't care less what happened to him, not after every cruel thing he'd done to her. She'd probably celebrate until the next year if she knew she was finally free of him and his mind-twisting and mind-breaking games. He would be locked up in a isolated and lonely fortress with absolutely no contact to the outside world until the day he—

It clicked.

"Do you… have romantic feelings for her?" Satoshi asked cautiously.

"Of course I don't. Huh. All you humans think alike" chuckled Orihara, shaking his head as if Satoshi was a five-year-old.

Satoshi relented and raked his hand over his tousled auburn hair. The devil-eyed man was right. How could a monster like Orihara Izaya be capable of _emotions_ anyway.

"I'll let her know. Now it's your turn" said Satoshi.

"Tell me what you already know, and I'll see if I can fill in some gaps" said Orihara.

Satoshi sighed.

"Azami poisoned his wife with hemlock soon after child birth, when she was weakest in terms of health. Enough to cause the symptoms without out-rightly killing her. He used _dried_ poison hemlock because the potency of plant-based poisons in dried samples are lower than in fresh, meaning it's easier to control the dosage. He mixed the final dose in her black tea and that's how she died. We found old tea stains with traces of hemlock in it on a hand-towel in her bathroom to prove that"

Orihara looked like he was enjoying this, but Satoshi pressed on.

"Azami was the last person to be with her because we found his fingerprint on a personal photo he tore up and threw in the waste-paper basket in her room. That fingerprint was stained with the same blood Lady Nadeshiko last coughed up. However, the blood had already _clotted_ and _separated_ into red-blood cells and plasma when he made that fingerprint. That meant Azami didn't get help for his wife after killing her once and for all. He waited between thirty minutes to an hour _after_ she died in her bed before calling somebody because that's how long it takes for blood to _clot_ and _separate._ So everything points to him, but…" Satoshi could've find the words to complete his sentence.

"But you don't know how he _acquired_ the hemlock in the first place~" crooned Orihara.

That was correct. They had the suspect, the murder weapon, the motive, the opportunity… except the _means._

"No. But you do"

"Indeed I do. You see, dried poison hemlock is sold in black market shops around Japan. It's hard to smuggle from overseas, which is where the good stuff are. Hemlock wasn't always used as poison. It's got other medicinal qualities like being an antidote for strychnine poisoning, or as a sedative, or as an antispasmodic"

"What shops? What are their names?" asked Satoshi.

"Let me see…"

Orihara closed his eyes and he seemed to fall into a dozy sleep with his smirk still on his face. Satoshi frowned in confusion. He was humming under his breath and Satoshi didn't know what to make of this. He looked around the room to see if there was anything to prompt this behaviour but it was cold, dim and stuck with the grey colour scheme. Not stimulation. The information broker's head was moving from side to side as if he was looking at something on the table with his eyes closed. So he wasn't asleep. He really was an eccentric and creepy man.

"Ah here we go. There were three major underground places that sold poisonous plants in Japan. One shop in _Aizu_ called _Takeda Pharmacy_ was seized by police twenty years ago, so that's far too long. Another was… hmm destroyed in a fire in _Kyotou_ five years ago. It was an inferno~ Everybody inside went up in smokes. Such a pity. The remains were demolished and replaced by a restaurant called _Shirobeko_. Ah and the last one… Oh you'd have more luck with that. It still exists"

"What?" asked Satoshi, starting to get a bit impatient with this weird game of his.

"This shop was established more than sixteen years ago and sold all sorts of poisonous plants amongst other things. The front was a chemist or a pharmacy I believe. But then it closed six years later after the man in charge mysteriously disappeared with everything. The police never found him. Two and a half years ago it was bought and re-opened again, picking up where it left off, but minus the poison business. It's completely legit and under a new name and management now. You might want to chat with the new owner to see if they know anything more" said Orihara.

He finally opened his blood-red eyes.

"Tell me the shop's new name"

" _Ryuusenka Apothecary"_

* * *

 **Somebody needs to make a day trip to our favourite country town to meet up with our favourite side characters again! In other words, Chapter 3 for _Medica Materia_ is the next step in the over-arching story!  
**

 **Hayama has a job! YAY! Professor Hayama Senior was only featured in a few pages of the manga as a flashback, So I took the liberty in inventing a backstory for him. And also yay for halal snack-packs :) My friends tell me that shit is _GOOD._ The seasoned meat and garlic sauce are spectacular. Real comfort food.**

 _ **'The Thing'**_ … **in Chizuru's work place really has no consequence. It's just an unidentified mysterious creature that lives in the bookstore. Chizuru and her boss keeps it like a pet. Or maybe** **… T _he Thing_** ** _…_ keeps THEM as pets :O Kuga had lost a battle against it and will keep his distance from... _The Thing..._** **from now on haha.**

 **Orihara Izaya. It's been a while...**

 **Let me know what you guys thing and I'll be seeing you again in Chapter 3 of _Medica Materia!_**

 **Signing off  
**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	43. Memories Become Stories

**I have exciting news: I'm WORKING! I've been flat out for the past three weeks.**

 **More importantly I wanted to say thank you to everyone who had favourited, followed and reviewed _Medica Materia_ _._ It was a journey despite it being only 3 chapters and I'm so happy you guys liked it. I wanted to again say sorry that your visit to _Ryuusenka Apothecary_ has come to an end. I can only comfort you in saying that traces of _Medica Materia _ will continue to run deep in the background of ****_A Touch of Saffron. _**

**Anyway, enough about that and lets get on with the story!**

* * *

 _Chapter 43 - Memories Become Stories_

* * *

"The hospital is this way" said Ayame-chan, pointing down the street.

Isami was surprised that they'd asked him to accompany them. He had thought that _Fratello_ and Ayame-chan were going on a date. Just the two of them, right? It was such a lovely sunny morning and the trees lining the streets were bursting with golden hues, it would make a fine and romantic day. Well, here he was eagerly trailing after his brother and his brother's girlfriend on the way to Karakura General Hospital as he continually took happy-snaps and selfies on his phone, showcasing the beautiful Autumnal seasons so that he could send it to his own _amore,_ Bianca. It was great to go out somewhere on the weekend!

There was nothing like making a day out around town and breathing in the crisp and fresh air, watching the rest of the world blissfully go about their day with not a drop of worry on their shoulders. Isami sometimes wished his high-school life was this simple all the time. He didn't like to deal with _cazzate_ if he could help it.

"Oh! This tree is gorgeous" Isami whispered.

He spun on his heels and squatted slightly, angling his phone camera just right to catch the rays of the sun casting golden dappling light through the armber leaves. _Si!_ No filters needed!He will post this and make it his laptop wallpaper when he got back. He straightened his legs and admired his _Instagram_ skills.

"Isami-kun! We're about to cross the street!" laughed Ayame-chan way up ahead.

"A-Ah! Right! Coming!" he hurried along, his feet crunching and kicking up the leaves.

Everything back at Tootsuki was dragging everybody down. It's been months and months now. At least the Rebel Alliance were doing a few productive things here and there to fight for their cause. Basically, annoy the Azami Administration to insanity without getting expelled. Luckily, the Nakiri cousins were on their side to tell them about all the loopholes in the school policies they could squeeze through since they had a much better understanding of how the institutional and business side of Tootsuki worked. Isshiki-senpai was leading the charge against dethroning Azami with _Fratello,_ Yukihira-kun and Nakiri-san while the rest of the Polar Star Dormitory residents, Ikumi-san, Hojou-san, Arato-san, Nakiri Alice, Kurokiba-kun, himself and even Sadatsuka-san challenged the weaker members of Azami's underlings into _shokugekis,_ fighting over stakes for clubrooms, RS and information to add to their growing arsenal. So far so good, right?

' _How long is it going to take? What more can we do?'_

Having thought that, he found it unnerving that some of the Ex-Elite Ten members, aside from Kinokuni-senpai and Terunori-senpai, just let Azami waltz in like that. They neither hated him, nor loved him. They neither resisted him nor supported in. They just simply did what they were told. They also couldn't be bothered to fight back. They just… accepted their fate. They became Central to avoid making their life any harder. Perhaps it was because most were third-years and they would eventually graduate, so they didn't believe they had any responsibility to their underclassman once they dusted their hands of Tootsuki.

Isami felt like he wanted to shake them into action!

' _Non, non. This is the weekend and we're having a break! No more thinking about Tootsuki!'_

The three of them were visiting Ayame-chan's grandfather who was recently admitted for stroke. Isami had never met anyone who had a stroke before so he was a bit nervous about what to expect. When questioning the pair this morning on how he should behave around her grandfather, Ayame-chan said her grand-father might have difficulty understanding some things, so advised both Isami and Takumi to speak slowly and use simple terms. She also said he might have difficulty with verbal communication too, like trouble finding the right words and so advised them to just be patients. Almost like an afterthought, Ayame-chan also informed him that her grandfather had dementia, so if he said anything related to the WWII, USA, foreigners, or anything that hinted over-the-top nationalistic pride, don't take it to heart. Otherwise he was a good chat. Isami and Takumi both had their share of prejudice when they first came to Japan. They found that the older generation didn't take a liking to what they were often referred to as _hāfu._

' _or Half-blood…'_

Isami never recalled being treated subpar to people of full Japanese heritage, but the two brothers did find themselves unfortunately being stereotyped by the very few Japanese people who didn't know better. At first it was harmless and Isami casted it as people making a harmless joke, but then the more discriminating aspects got on his nerves but he just brushed it off. Other times, he couldn't brush it off and just bottled it up. However, _Fratello_ was more prone to angry outbursts if he thought people stepped over the line. It _very_ rarely happened, but it still happened.

One particular memory was visiting an _okonomiyaki_ house years ago where one of the regular customers accused them of not knowing and never being able to appreciate the Japanese culture, simply because they were _half-Japanese,_ therefore… would never be one of them… Whatever the hell that meant... Either way, the two brothers were absolutely incensed and were goaded into having an _okonomiyaki_ cooking battle to put that bigot back into his place and show them that they had the capacity to appreciate Japanese culture or _any other culture for that matter!_ The whole point was that they put _effort_ into understanding _Pappa_ s's heritage, who was born and raised in Japan. Besides, it wasn't anybody else's business if they appreciated culture or not!

Thinking about it now still made him a bit sad.

" _Non! Non! No more negative thoughts!"_

It was a losing battle…

"I wonder if he remembers that I cooked for him the first time we met" said Takumi.

The sound of _Fratello's_ voice barely broke him away from the vicious cycle he fell in. Isami tried to step back into his positive mood, but it had been increasingly hard to do so. He tried forcing a smile to see if it would trigger the positivity to come back. For good measure, he tuned his ears to the conversation to keep his mind from wandering into a dark place.

"He thinks I'm my mum and still calls me by my mum's name. What do you think?" Ayame-chan rolled her eyes and a smile crept onto her lips.

"So he's forgotten about me all together?" asked Takumi.

"Probably. But maybe your soup was so delicious that _Ojii-san_ might have some recollection about you" she replied.

Takumi quirked the corner of his lips and pulled Ayame-chan around the waist closer to his side. She laughed and rested her head on is shoulders as they continued to plod along, their boots crunching against the bronze and red leaves which blanketed the pavement. Isami smiled and took an inconspicuous snap of the romantic pair with the brilliant Autumnal backdrop. _Si!_ He would send this to them! Maybe he'd even put it on his _Instagram_ too, but knowing his _Fratello,_ he'd tell Isami to take it down in case Ayame-chan didn't consent to it… Nah, everybody liked to be on _Instagram,_ so that shouldn't be a problem. A gust of wind picked up and Isami pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. Brrrr. Autumn sure was colder in Japan than it was back in _Italia._

"Oh! Remember that _Otou-san_ is meeting us there in about half an hour too" piped up Ayame-chan.

"Your father and grandfather are going to call me a CIA spy again…" groaned Takumi-kun.

" _Otou-san_ likes you! Honest! He just shows it by… by…" Ayame faltered at the end and avoided eye contact once Takumi gave her a knowing look "Okay, he hates _everybody._ You could be Gandhi or the Dalai Lama and he'd still hate you" Ayame-chan conceded.

"How is that meant to make me feel better?" asked Takumi, gently poking her in the side.

"Okay, then. _Ojii-san_ calls his own son an idiot and a disgrace to the country for running off to England and joining the Scotland Yard back when he was younger. Count yourself lucky" said Ayame-chan.

Takumi's face was like a magic show. It had the capability from going absolutely smitten into abject fear in a matter of nanoseconds. He could be super-motivated and pumped up and then escalate to revulsion at the sound of Yukihira-kun's voice. With Ayame-chan it was no different. He groaned and threw his head back while Ayame-chan laughed merrily at her boyfriend's predicament. Wow, Isami could never get enough of the CIA spy story! Bless Ayame-chan's grandfather. Every meeting with him sounded so interesting and _hilarious_. It made his stomach hurt from thinking about it because his abdominal muscles remembered the massive workout it got from laughing at Takumi's face.

"I've heard all sorts of stories of your Father, Ayame-chan" said Isami as he fell into step on her other side. "Is he as intimidating and scary as _Fratello_ says?"

"That and more" she groaned and then her smile returned.

Isami didn't know why he expected Ayame-chan to defend her father. She was smiling over the fact that her father was a work-o-holic, ball-breaking, scary-as- _satan_ high ranking police officer who threatened Takumi as her boyfriend on the first meeting as if it was just a normal personality trait. It was slightly disconcerting. Of course the Superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was no laughing matter and only an _idiota_ would think nothing of it. _Fratello_ said it was like staring into the face of a blood-thirsty samurai who wouldn't hesitate to skewer his guts and stick his freshly decapitated head on a pike outside the family home and sip tea while watching the crows peck at the dead eyes.

Additionally, he carried a special family heirloom, a _katana_ blade as a service weapon everywhere he went. On duty, off duty, holidays, drug raid, court-cases, parent-teacher-interviews, family birthday parties, absolutely everywhere and there was nothing anybody could do about it. That couldn't be completely true, right?

"Surely there's a warm side to him, Ayame-chan. Any stories about how kind and caring he could be?" asked Isami.

"…"

' _Oh, she's got to be kidding… not one?'_

There were two sides to every person and Superintendent General Kanda couldn't be any different, right? He had allowed his daughter's first relationship to go on virtually unimpeded. Aside from threats and all around being The Superintendent Genreal. Takumi came and went to their house whenever he pleased. Cooked dinner with Ayame-chan, studied subjects they had in common together, lounged around and watched movies together, had after-school dates, went to get halal-snack packs together (he wouldn't mind third-wheeling that), and even had visited her grand-father with her father some time ago.

Also, Ayame-chan's father had allowed him to practice cooking at their place during the Elite Ten Re-Shuffle Competition knowing that they were a pesky Mimasaka Subaru would invite himself to spying around the Kanda Territory. Who would want _that_ trouble on their shoulders? Takumi had mentioned that the Superintendent General was quite displeased with the whole idea. He suspected Takumi was trying to use a mild term. But again, he had never done anything to stop Takumi from coming over.

If Ayame-chan's father is as hellish as what Takumi said, then why would he put up with it all? And why hadn't he tried to chase Takumi off already?

' _It's one of those mysteries I'll never understand… and Takumi too'_

"Ummm…" Ayame-chan tapped her finger on her lips.

"Are you going to tell Isami the story about the dog?" asked Takumi, giving Ayame-chan a worried look.

What story about the dog? What's there to be worried about? It was going to be a heart-warming story, right?

"It's the only story…" Ayame-chan laughed nervously.

Takumi nodded slowly and deliberately, and maintained his pace. _Fratello_ looked off to the side,

"A few years ago. _Otou-san_ ' _s_ cousin from his mum's side had this big dog. His cousin's family is a farmingfamily, by the way. They live in the country. The family's intention was to train him to become a working dog. _Otou-san_ also took part in training the dog. Anyway, he got along with the dog really well which everybody thought was weird since _Otou-san_ sends _vibes_. Vibes Takumi-kun is very familiar with"

She turned to smile at him cheekily.

"Homicidal vibes" said Takumi.

Ayame-chan smacked him on the arm and he just pursed his lips together in jest.

"Please go on, Ayame-chan" said Isami. Stories with animals involved were always good!

"It was the only animal he didn't hate to be honest, and the dog loved _Otou-san_ a lot too. Whenever we visited, _Otou-san_ wouldalways give it a scratch right behind the ears before he would greet anyone else. The dog was stuck by _Otou-san's_ side every day and _Otou-san_ was totally fine with that. We joked that the dog's true master was _Otou-san,_ who only visited three times a year" Ayame-chan chuckled. "The dog was really smart and was full of energy. _Otou-san_ and the dog had this… connection… you know?"

"Yeah I do. They're not called man's best friend for nothing" Isami nodded and smiled.

"There's this place _Otou-san_ and the dog hung out every evening before it got too dark. It's by the small river that passed through the forest behind the farm. It flows from East to West, so it catches the sunset well. I've been there before. It's beautiful. It was the dog's favourite place. It would always bark at _Otou-san_ after dinner _,_ like, toget his attention and lead him across the farm and into the forest where the river was. _Otou-san_ went every time to everyone's surprise. _Okaa-san_ is said it was because he was eager to escape his cousin and his family before they started breaking out the rice wine. The dog used to swim and frolic in the waters, having an awesome time while _Otou-san_ practiced his _Kenjutsu_ and _Kendou_ on the river's shore"

"Oh that sounds nice" said Isami. He could imagine the dog having the time of its life while its surrogate Master watched on.

Ayame continued, kicking up the leaves as she walked. "The dog was part _inu shiba_ and part wolf"

"Part _inu shiba_ and wolf? Oh! That's cool!" gasped Isami.

"Not so cool… that was the problem" said Ayame-chan.

"Oh… how so?"

"One day the dog attacked the neighbouring farm's dog out of nowhere and almost killed it. We didn't know why. It could've been a territorial thing, it could've been an alpha thing, he could've been defending himself. It doesn't matter. But the dog wasn't a hundred percent domesticated like ordinary family dogs. Despite spending years training it as a working dog, you can't _train-out_ the genes that were still dominated by wolf, as you know"

"Yeah…"

"The neighbours were very upset, as they should be. They threatened to shoot the dog if they ever saw it. The council got involved and said the family had to _put down_ their dog and they had a limited number of weeks to do it. The council said it's in the local district's best interest to prevent repeated incidences…"

Isami's stomach dropped.

"Your father swept in and saved the dog, right?" Isami forced the hope to rise.

"Not exactly… _Otou-san_ offered to shoot the dog himself if the family didn't want to take it to the vet"

"…"

"…"

"…"

" _WH-WHAT?!_ "

Isami was horrified and Ayame-chan and Takumi's grim faces didn't help.

"But… _why_?"

"His cousin asked the very same question. But _Otou-san_ never gave an answer. His cousin's family finally said yes to his offer because they didn't have to take their dog to the vet to get it done. The last time I saw the dog, he was running off into the forest in the direction of the river with _Otou-san_ following behind with his service revolver in hand."

Finally, it clicked for Isami.

Ayame-chan's father thought the dog could at least be by the shore of the river after the customary enjoyable swim on its last day on Earth. Its last memory would be of the sound of the flowing waters, chirping of birds and crickets, the smell of the fresh forest air, the view of the red and pink dipping sun below the trees, his fur dripping wet from playing in his favourite river. Its last memory would be being by its Master's side. The person it loved the most.

That _had_ to been the reason why he wanted to do it himself.

Isami gulped. "Did… Did…"

"Yes. Right at the back of the head while facing the sunset. _Otou-san_ said it was painless"

Ayame decided to be graphic and stepped forward. She leaned up curled her arm around Isami's head. She prodded her gloved finger into the dip between the base of his skull where his neck began. His hand flew up to touch the chilled spot and he shivered violently. He was dumped with dread as he took an involuntary step back.

Was it just him or did the world suddenly looked so bleak and grey all of a sudden? The harsh glare of the morning sun didn't do much for the eyes. The autumn leaves lost their majestic lustre and the traffic was much too loud and obnoxious. The fumes from the car exhaust made him want to cough and cover his nose. The streets now seemed crowded and bustling, moving too quickly and pushing past each other without care or consideration.

"Your father… k-killed the dog, _his_ dog… the only animal he ever liked…?"

"Yep. It was the district law. If you refuse to arrange it yourself, like taking them to a vet to do it compassionately, then they call in animal control to do it for you. The dog never took well to strangers. It would've fought back and make it all the worse. Its last feelings would be scared, frightened and threatened. Thinking about why it was being taken away. So, what _Otou-san_ did was… for lack of a better term… I think it's called _mercy killing_ " said Ayame-chan in a really sad tone.

"But it's not the dog's fault! He was behaving exactly what he's wolf genes instinct was telling him to do!" cried out Isami.

He ran in front and blocked Takumi and Ayame-chan in their path, remnants of leaves kicking up in his wake. _Fratello's_ blue eyes widened in confusion and Ayame-chan gasped. Isami probably looked ridiculous right now, huffing and puffing with cherry-red cheeks, his scarf unravelling and about to fall to the ground.

"The law doesn't see it that way" said Ayame-chan. "If there was no other way and if it was _your_ dog, would you let a _total stranger_ do the honours for you?"

Isami faltered. Would he? He… wouldn't have the heart to do such a thing. An eye-for-an-eye wasn't the way to go. He'd probably drive his precious dog out into the wilderness, hundreds of miles from any human settlement and free it. Let it be what he was put on Earth by _Dio_ to do. Be a canine, be a wolf, be a dog, whatever it was the dog wanted to be... _should_ be… Even going to a vet to do it 'compassionately' wasn't an option for him. Cold. Clinical. Sterile. Scared. Stranger with a mask bending over. Gloved fingers holding a needle. The Master holding their paws fighting back tears. Dogs were smart and were in tune to what went on around them, especially the people they lived their whole lives with. People said dogs have a sixth sense and knew when something was terribly wrong. The dog would know he was about to be killed with a lethal injection. Dogs would feel the difference between a visit to the vet for euthanasia, and a visit for a monthly vaccination.

"How… How did your f-father… f-feel…" asked Isami.

"He didn't look it. But the family knew he was devastated. Explains why I was never allowed to have a pet, actually"

Isami released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Suddenly something warm enveloped him. He gasped and realised the tickling scent of berry perfume belonged to Ayame-chan. She was hugging him tightly while _Fratello_ watched on. An intense look of understanding passed through his eyes. Isami swallowed his tears and refused to let them fall. This was going to be a good day and he didn't want to ruin it by getting all worked up and emotional right now, but _damnit_ it was so hard!

"It's okay Isami-kun" said Ayame, releasing him gently and smiling up at him sadly. "You asked for a story that shows how warm, kind and caring _Otou-san_ can be. I'm sorry that it wasn't going to be a light-hearted and joyful as you hoped, but that's the only one I know that shows that he… _has a heart_ " she said.

Takumi stepped up and patted him on the arm. The three of them kept walking towards _Karakura General Hospital._

* * *

"Ah… Kyoko, what brings you here?"

Takumi was right. Ayame-chan's grandfather looked like a wizard. He reclined in the hospital bed, with a newspaper spread out on the portably side table hanging over his bed.

His long face and hollowed cheeks made him worry that he wasn't eating enough. He had age spots, some raised, some just marks dotting all over his face, bald head and back of his arms. The little remains of his greying hair was tied off at the back of his head by some twine. His balding head was only covered by wisps of grey hair. His eyes struck him the most. They were a murky coal, the tell-tail signs of diminishing vision and old age, but they glared and scowled with annoyance with just as much power as a virile man could. That was until they landed on Ayame-chan behind his half-moon spectacles, that they softened. His wide forehead which was earlier furrowed in rows and rows of wrinkles as if he had been frowning his whole life, lightened up at the sight of his grand-daughter.

"It's me, Ayame" said Ayame-chan, smiling at him. She bent over and gave him a hug.

"Ah yes, yes of course. You're my grand-daughter" he said dismissively and returned her hug.

"You remember Takumi-kun, right? He made you vegetarian soup a couple of months ago at home. You really liked it" said Ayame. Takumi nervously stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Good afternoon, Zuttosuke-san" said Takumi.

"This _gaijin_ made me soup and I _liked_ it?" Ayame-chan's grandfather pointed a gnarly old finger at _Fratello_ with utter disbelief, and didn't try to hide his disgust. His voice was croaking and sounded phlegmy.

 _Fratello_ frowned.

"Don't call him _gaijin, Ojii-san_. That's rude. His name is Takumi and he is my boyfriend. We've been together for almost four months now" Ayame-chan smiled widely and hooked her arms around Takumi's. Takumi nervously smiled back, keeping one eye on Ayame-chan's grandfather and the other on Ayame-chan.

"Hmmm… Whatever. If my idiot son hasn't killed, you yet for being a CIA spy. It must've been some damn good soup!" the grandfather cracked up laughing.

Oh, Isami was counting on him saying that! Ayame-chan's grand-father suddenly started coughing and hacking, his bed sheets unravelling around him. She and Takumi rushed to his side. He pushed away the rolling bedside table with the newspaper so the elderly man's knees didn't hit it as his body spasmed from the force, and Ayame-chan picked up a plastic tub full of gloopy water and pressed it to her grandfather's lips. _Gloopy water?!_

"Take small sips _Ojii-sama._ Swallow first before taking another sip"

"I know! I know!"

He bit at his grand-daughter. He grumbled and resisted at first, but he begrudgedly drank it. Isami's mouth felt icky from just watching him consume that weird water. Why wasn't it in a proper cup too? This looked like a jelly cup, but it wasn't really 'jelly' inside it. Clear, unset jelly?

"What is he drinking, Ayame-chan?" asked Isami, creeping a little closer, but not too close so that he didn't interfere.

"It's thickened water" she said. She handed Isami the cup to look for himself and he inspected the partially peeled away lid. It said 'mildly thick water' on the green peel-away lid. He could sort of smell without bringing his nose to the rim… it didn't smell pleasant. It couldn't taste pleasant either.

" _Nasty_ stuff" Ayame-chan's grandfather continued to grumble. Isami didn't blame him.

"Why is he drinking it?" asked Takumi.

" _Because the old bastard has trouble fucking swallowing"_

Takumi accidentally banged his hip against the portable table and Isami jumped in the air and sloshed the thick liquid over his hands with a shrill yelp. He cursed his luck and quickly pulled a handkerchief from his pockets and cleaned himself up. He froze when a dark shadow blanketed him and he shrank back. The waft of subtle but powerful cologne graced his nose and the clunking of heavy set boots alerted him to a presence stepping up from his side like a storm. He looked up and his breath hitched.

"Otou-san!" gasped Ayame-chan.

The tall figure of the Superintendent General of TMPD stood next to the pull-around-curtains with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Isami instantly searched for the infamous _katana_ blade to see if it was true and he wasn't disappointed. The gilt handle and sword guard glinted in the hospital lights from under his open trench coat, fastened to his hips. The tips of the scabbard peaked out from the hem of the coat and Isami was coloured impressed with a tad fright. It felt like this tall modern samurai had just came to life from a story, and to Isami's cold realisation, he actually did. A story about him mercy killing a dog.

"The fuck you looking at?"

"N-Nothing!" Isami jumped again at the growl.

He was on the receiving end of a contemptuous scowl and suspicious coal black eyes. Ayame-chan's father had very severe features. Sharp cheek bones, pointed chin and nose. Long hair like Ayame-chan's tied back tightly in a high pontytail, leaving only a dead-straight fringe and two long locks framing the sides of his face. He looked down his nose at him as if beneath him was exactly where Isami belonged. If what Ayame-chan said was true that he had a heart, then he hid it extremely well, even in front of his own daughter and ailing father.

" _Otou-san,_ this is Isami, Takumi-kun's twin brother" Ayame-chan introduced.

"N-Nice to meet you sir!" Isami bowed low, fearing for his life already.

The man grunted, completely ignoring him.

"Old bastard can't swallow properly because of his stroke. Can't fucking drink normal water, tea, juice, or soup without fucking coughing because it's going down the wrong way. I just spoke to the speech pathologist. She recommended he drinks the disgusting thick stuff because it's safer, and remind him to take sips, since he can't remember on his own"

"Wh-why is the thickened w-water safer… sir" asked Takumi.

The Superintendent General casually flitted his dark eyes towards his elder twin without moving his head. His lips remained tight as he silently appraised whether _Fratello_ was good enough to deign an answer to his question.

"He can't close off the windpipe fast enough when swallowing normal water, tea and shit because the stroke fucked up his muscles used for swallowing. The thick stuff holds together better when he's drinking and minimises the chances of slipping down the wrong way, into his lungs and causing a fucking aspiration pneumonia and die or some shit. Otherwise he can still barely eat normal food. Looks like you get to live another day, you old bastard"

Ayame-chan's father flashed a feral smirk at the grandfather.

"I survived the bombing of Hiroshima, so you ain't getting rid of me so soon, Yuu" the grandfather smirked back.

"Pity"

" _Otou-san, Ojii-san. Behave"_ Ayame-chan hissed menacingly.

This family dynamic was driving Isami up the wall. The way _Fratello's_ teeth was on edge told him the same story. Isami flicked his eyes back and forth between the two father and son and found that the hair on the back of his arm and neck were prickling with electricity. It was the same electricity passing between the two older men as they glared at each other, both with evil and menacing smirks on their faces as the son wished the father dead, and the father refusing to die just piss his son off.

Ayame face-palmed.

"We weren't expecting you until afternoon, _Otou_ - _san_ "

"Called in for a drug-bust down the road. I had time"

"Liar"

"Hey, I'm not putting up with this Scotland Yard business talk from you, _boy_ after showing your face to me after disappearing to England for ten years _!_ Especially in the middle of the war. God bless Emperor Hirohito!" yelled Ayame-chan's grandfather, reclining back into the hospital bed as an angry vein pulse took over the Superintendent General's left temple, just above his eye.

"Here we go…" Takumi muttered under his breath.

"I was born _after_ the war, old man" Ayame-chan's father said tonelessly, but unable to hide the seething.

"You giving me lip, _boy_?" growled the grand-father. He raised his hands up as if ready to cuff his son over the head.

"What else does it fucking look like?"

The oil tanker was set on fire. Ayame's father and her grandfather were instantly at each other's throats. While the father and son butted heads with flames of dancing around them and knocking each other's pegs down with mighty scathing words, Ayame and Takumi started to creep away, pulling Isami with them. However, his feet held fast as he watched with utter fascination how this family was pulling colourful threats and insults out of nowhere and at the same time, looking like they were having a long overdue banter at the local _Izakaya._ They were _smiling_ as they verbally assaulted each other and it was disturbing.

"Are they always like this?" asked Isami. He begged that it wasn't.

"Pretty much" said Ayame-chan. Takumi nodded in agreement.

"What's going to happen when your grandfather gets released from hospital? Is he going to live with you?" asked Isami. Waves of worry and concern washed over him for both Ayame-chan and _Fratello_. The father and son pair could probably take the whole house down in one fell swoop by simply just 'greeting' each other in the living room.

"No, we're considering an old residents home again, but… I don't know if it will go well" said Ayame-chan.

Isami already knew that her grandfather had a team of full-time thick-skinned carers looking after him in his own home twenty-four seven, seven days a week, since both her parents weren't around enough to take care of him, and the rest of the family lived very far away. But being in a delicate and fragile state after being in hospital probably meant returning home with the carers wouldn't be as safe.

"Why not?"

" _Ojii-san's_ been thrown out of three old residents' homes in the past"

" _Thrown out?!"_ Isami gasped.

"For bad behaviour" sighed Ayame-chan. Takumi rubbed her shoulder. "They're the only times _Otou-san_ couldn't be prouder to call him his father" Ayame rolled her eyes.

" _Ayame"_

The three teens turned around to see that the Superintendent General had finished verbally wrestling with his father, and the elder Kanda was sitting back comfortably with a self-satisfied grin on his aging wizard-face as if he had given his son a well-deserved arse-kicking. So weird. Isami would never get used to this…

"I'm heading back to work now"

"Okay then, don't work too hard, alright?" said Ayame, tilting her head to the side as she gave him a lop-sided smile.

He twitched the corner of his lips and lifted his arm, and gently squeezed her shoulder. As his eyes soften and his stern jaw relaxed as he touched his daughter's shoulders, Isami thought of the story with the dog. He thought of that same compassion from long ago and how it still existed in this man's chest, and was still very much alive. Alive for his daughter. Only he buried it deep behind a fortress. The Superintendent General nodded at Takumi and Takumi gulped stuttered a 'good-bye, sir' before the Superintendent General strode away, leaving the other patients, nurses and doctors warily eyeing him. The nurse hastily buzzed the large ward doors to open even before he made it half way out the ward. Isami's eyes also gravitated to him, it was like he sucked in his attention with his tall frame, the heavy-set boots, long flowing trench coat, sword strapped to his hip, long jet-black hair and steely eyes.

The three teens continued to spend some time chatting with each other and with Ayame-chan's grand-father when Takumi piped up.

"There's a vending machine downstairs. Does anyone want anything?" asked Takumi.

Ayame-chan nodded " _Ojii-san,_ we're just going down to get something to drink. We could get you something too and ask the uhh… speech pathologist or nurse to thicken it for you?" Ayame-chan offered, rubbing her grandfather's arm.

"No, I'm alright. You kids have fun" he said, his tone growing listless.

"You coming Isami?" asked Takumi. Isami realised that he didn't follow the couple as they were starting to walk away.

"A-Actually, you guys go on. I-I'd like to keep your grand-father company, if that's okay" he said. He laughed almost in embarrassment, but didn't know what there was to be embarrassed about. So, he tried to cover it by scratching the back of his and faking a confident tone.

"Okay, no worries" Ayame-chan smiled.

The two teens headed off and Isami was finally alone with the most volatile elder he'd ever met.

"Why aren't you going with the other youngsters, hmm?" the grandfather continued to stare out the window, never straying his eyes from the bronze scene down below.

"I-I thought I'd keep you company" said Isami, wringing his hands together. What had he gotten himself into?

"Hadn't seen my son in ten years" The grandfather murmured.

Isami's brows shot up into his hairline. What? That couldn't be right. Takumi, Ayame-chan and the Superintendent General only visited him a month and a half ago or something, they were talking about that vegetarian soup that Takumi made for him. So why did he think—

Oh.

This was another example of the signs of dementia Ayame-chan was talking about earlier. He thought this was the first time he'd seen his son in _ten_ years! This was upsetting Isami more than he thought it would. Tears gently prickled the corner of his lashes but he held them at bay.

"Umm, Kanda-san hadn't been to England for a very long time. He visited you a month and a half ago with Ayame-chan. It was the same day my brother, Takumi, made Buddhist vegetarian soup for you?" Isami said hopefully as his sentence rose on a nervous infection, wondering if it would help make the elder gentleman's memory come back.

"Did he?" asked the grandfather, shifting his position on the bed trying to get comfortable again. Obviously, it didn't work. Annoyed confusion passed over his face briefly before it appeared like some other thought crossed his mind and he started roving his murky eyes over the other patients in the ward.

Isami's heart sank. His arms fell to his side and he clenched and unclenched his fingers. He diverted his eyes to the bedside table and took note of the glasses case, the newspaper Takumi had folded away, the box of tissues and a notepad and pen sitting there. Then he looked out the window where the bright Autumn day seemed to be mocking him in all its golden glory.

"What's eating you, sad sack?"

"Hmm?" Isami thought he was going to be ignored by Ayame-chan's grandfather for the rest of his time here.

"You look like you're shitting four carot diamonds there, lad" the grandfather snorted. For the first time that day, he was staring straight into Isami's own blue eyes and it was unnerving. Not disturbing because the eyes that stared back were barely seeing, but rather because he felt like his thoughts were being stripped bare under the intense scrutiny of eyes seventy years older than himself.

"O-Oh, nothing much. Just school and stuff I guess" said Isami.

"School, huh? Every man should go to school. Everyone should be lucky to go to school" said the grandfather in a gruff voice.

"Yeah…"

Isami didn't want to think about Tootsuki right now.

"Unless you think otherwise, _gaijin_?"

"Ah! N-No, I didn't mean to sound like that, it's just…" Isami debated on what he should do. He internally winced at being called _gaijin._ He could hedge his bet that Ayame-chan's grandfather would lose interest in why he suddenly became despondent, but that didn't look like it was happening.

"Well, right now my school is umm… not in a good place. Our director is changing so many of the policies to… suit his own needs, rather than the students' needs. I-It's wrong and so do a lot of students. It's jeopardised our learning. They're getting kicked out for disagreeing with our new director…"

Isami had no idea why he suddenly blurted it all out. Perhaps it's because he knew Ayame-chan's grandfather wouldn't care either way that he found comfort in just _getting it off his chest_ to someone who had nothing to do with or had no knowledge of it.

"Is that right" he responded gruffly.

Isami released a deep sigh and forced a smile. He squared his shoulders and levelled his head, staring out the window again.

"My brother and all my friends are fighting back because we don't just give up. We don't just let things happen. We make a stand. We say 'no!' We have the guts to do what's right, even when everyone else chooses the easy way out" Isami's finger curled around his palm in a tight grip. "But is that enough for me to make change? I feel as if I'm just standing there… not _moving_ while all my friends are moving _forward_ " said Isami.

He thought about how Isshiki-senpai, _Fratello,_ Yukihira-kun, Arato-san, heck even Ayame-chan was making good headways! They were working very hard to prove Azami murdered his wife to throw him off the Director's seat and sending him to rot in jail. What was _he_ doing? He was 'supporting' the Rebel Alliance by challenging students who supported Central by bargaining information and clubroom assets. Trying to weaken their arsenal so that Azami's student resources would ever so slowly turn over to Polar Star Dorm, but was that all he could do in the remaining two years at Tootsuki? He wanted to take on the First Seater right this instance, but he feared he wasn't good enough. If _Fratello_ himself thought, he would have a tough time with a _shokegeki_ against the highest ranking Central member, then what hope did Isami have? He was at a road block as tall as Mount Vesuvius and he feared even his own twin wouldn't most frustrating part was he didn't know how to overcome it.

"Hmmph… You remind me of someone"

Isami looked towards the elderly man curiously. The grandfather's eyes took on a distant gaze as he turned his head away to stare at the wall in front of him. His tepid frown making him look even more wizardly. Isami's shifted in his spots, thoughts on Tootsuki disappearing as he wondered what person would stick to Ayame-chan's grandfather's memory so strongly that even dementia couldn't take away.

"Standing there like that, you remind me of the man that used to come to our house when I was young. My father used to say: _"watch this man"_. So I did. Every time he came"

Isami's interest grew and he found himself stepping closer. Closer until he placed his hands on the bed-rail and leaned forward towards the grandfather. This man sounded so important, like he was an important figure in Ayame-chan's grandfather's life. Important enough for the grandfather's own _father_ to command him to observe, to _watch_ this man. This man whom Isami supposedly reminded him of. He wanted to know more.

" _And never once did he do anything remarkable"_

Isami could've been knocked down with a feather and trampled on by a clowder of cats in public. What was with Ayame-chan's family subverting all expectations? His self-esteem once again crashed into the abyss.

"And… And I remind you of him?"

The grandfather exhaled sharply from his nose and snorted, as if he was amused by Isami's question. He turned his eyes to the ceiling.

"This one time, I was half your age, our house was overrun by _yakuza_ … Dozens of them... My father was beaten, my mother was beaten, and this man, my father's friend, _he_ was beaten. And I watched this man... Every time they hit him… he stood back up again. So, they hit him harder. Still he got back to his feet… They did it over and over and he still got up. I think because of this they stopped the beating. They let him live. _'Fudou no otoko'_. I remember them saying. 'Standing man'... ' _persistent_ man'… ' _immovable_ _man'_..."

Isami just stood there in awe. His jaw slack and his blue eyes wide. He was overcome by so much emotion, it choked him.

"That's who you remind me of, lad"

* * *

' _I wonder what they talked about…'_

It had been an hour since they left the hospital.

Takumi's worry for Isami disappeared. It was a great lift off his shoulders because he'd been worried about his younger brother for weeks. Isami had been showing signs of endlessly mulling over insecurities and his tendencies to down-play his talents and skills increased. Here he was, happy as a clam and happier than anything he'd seen in weeks. When he and Ayame returned from the vending machine with various drinks in hand, they found Isami frozen in place by Zuttosuke-san's bedside, staring at the old man while he picked at his dentures with his long finger nail. Takumi had to pat Isami several times to snap him out of it and he had wondered if Ayame's grandfather had said something unpleasant to him. He still wondered about it.

Not only that, Zuttosuke-san had no idea that he and Ayame had just came and went in a span of twenty minutes. He asked them what they were doing here and complained to Ayame (or Kyoko in his case) that he was never told that they were visiting him today. Then he started brooding about how his dentures weren't fitting into his mouth anymore.

When it was time for Zuttosuke-san to take his shower, it was also time for the three of them to leave. Ayame had made sure to find the speech pathologist who was still in the ward doing rounds if it was alright to thicken some Calpis water for her grandfather to drink today. The speech pathologist was nice about it and told her they can use the thickening agent the hospital bought to thicken drinks for patients with swallowing impairments. At least now Ayame's grandfather would be less of a grouch towards the medical staff for the rest of the day with his thickened Calpis water, rather than thickened normal water.

So here they were hanging out at _Meshina_ Ice cream parlourin Karakura honchou. It was the first place where Takumi met Ayame and her friends together and Takumi took a moment to reminisce about it. He draped his arm around the back of Ayame's chair as the three dug into their ice-cream. They were getting weird stares for eating ice-cream in the cold Autumn day, but Ayame insisted, so the two Italian brothers went with it.

That was when Isami was _all smiles_.

"You seem to be in a such a good mood Isami-kun. You're the first person I know who's cheerful after meeting _Ojii-sama_ " smiled Ayame.

"Really? I had a good chat with him today. That's why I'm happy" laughed Isami, licking his ice-cream cone.

Takumi scrutinised his brother and there was not a drop of a lie or any attempt to cover one up, which was what he normally tried to do. Isami was genuinely happy which Takumi hadn't seen for several days. Takumi smiled in relief, seeing his brother's laughing and bright face as those familiar blue eyes took on this sheen of burning determination in them. He knew Isami had been worrying about Tootsuki for months. It was tough being part of the Rebel Alliance, but all of them pushed through and stuck together. Isami tried the hardest in their band, but he always came back to the apartment they shared, fully dejected at the end of the day. Takumi's heart would break seeing his brother continue to second-guess his talent and strength. And guess what? He always tried to cover it up with that fake smile of his, and casually brushing off any concerns directed his way, convinced that there were other things worth worrying about. He always said he was alright, when he wasn't. On most days, Takumi would've confronted Isami to have a brotherly talk about his insecurities and find ways to encourage him, cheer him up and basically support him in any way he could (or smack him out of it). It always worked. Other days when things were particularly dark, Takumi would give Isami some space before approaching him. They may be twins, but that didn't mean they were the same people.

Takumi was eternally grateful for whatever Zuttosuke-san said to make Isami's fears and anxiety disappear.

 _Ding! Ding! Ding!_

"Hmm?" Isami pulled out his phone and slide the lock screen to read the new message flashing on his screen. "It's Yukihira-kun. He said he's at the gaming store and wondered if we're in the area and wanted to hang out"

Of all the places for Yukihira to be, it's _not_ at an eatery? That was weird. Since when was Yukihira into video or computer games?

"Hmm, not interested" replied Takumi, as he continued to eat his ice-cream.

"But he's your friend" said Ayame, turning around to look at him.

"Yeah, but I'm with you and Isami today" he replied as if it was the most obvious thing.

Ayame chuckled and he leaned over to give her a peck on the temple. Isami shoved the remainder of the ice-cream cone in his mouth as he began to fast-type a response to Yukihira's text message.

"I just said he can come and join use instead since we're all having ice-cream together"

So much for twins being on the same wavelength…

 _Ding! Ding! Ding!_

"Oh, he said he's coming" said Isami, showing everyone the text and making sure to stick it into Takumi's face.

Takumi groaned.

Soon Ayame was also helping herself to Takumi's serving of pistachio ice-cream and Takumi gladly let her have it. He wiped his fingers on the serviette and the three of them chatted together about some of the new recipes the Polar Star Dorm residents have been sharing with each other. Since Azami's curriculum didn't allow students to create their own recipes, Polar Star took it upon themselves to create it amongst themselves out of school hours and continued to practice them in the clubrooms they won from _shokugekis_.

"Yo! What's up guys!"

Yukihira finally made his appearance in all his red-headed glory. His cheeky grin blasted its own brand of sunshine that could currently rival Isami's wide smile. He was dressed in a simple t-shirt and cargo-pants and had a set of cheap headphones slung over his neck, the wire connected to the MP3 player in his pocket. Ayame waved at him excitedly and he saluted Isami, Ayame and Takumi back. He went to quickly order his two scoops in a cup and then he took a seat between Ayame and Isami It looked like he didn't think it was weird to eat ice-cream in Autumn either.

"So you guys are out on a family date?" he asked.

"We visited my grandfather in hospital today. We had some time left after so we thought we'd go get some ice-cream. What about you?" asked Ayame.

"I wanted to walk around town by myself to clear my head today and I stumbled on a video game store so thought I'd check it out. I needed to give the Rebel Alliance duties a bit of my break. I tried to convince Isshiki-senpai to come with me to get some fresh air too, but he didn't wanna. That guy just never rests. It's amazing" said Yukihira as he spooned some of his chocolate caramel and Nutty Surprise into his awaiting mouth.

"Things seem to be going well" said Ayame.

"Well enough" Yukihira smiled back.

"So what games were you checking out, Yukihira-kun?" asked Isami.

"This first-person shooter. It came out last month" Yukihira suddenly bounced up and down on his seat like a little kid and it amused Takumi.

"Oh yeah, I know that one. I've seen some trailers on the internet. It's pretty intense" commented Isami who was also a casual follower of Japanese gaming culture

"Yeah it was. Hey, there was this other new game that's being realised soon. It's based on a movie… Gah! Brain freeze! I can't remember what it's called"

Yukihira dropped his plastic spoon into his icre-cream cup. He scratched at his scalp and twisted his brow together as he tried to think hard about the game he was trying to tease out of his memory. Takumi watched the fuses blowing one by one in his head and he probably should put him out of his misery. Takumi decided to help-out so he didn't burst and artery by thinking too hard. Takumi racked his brain to figure out what game he was thinking of, but he too was stuck. He needed more clues than just 'based on a movie'.

"Can you describe it?" asked Takumi.

"It's based on that film everybody loves"

"Which film?"

"The one about the hair dresser and the space cowboy. The main guy, he's got a tin foil friend and a pedal bin. His father is a robot and he has a huge crush on his sister" said Yukihira.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What… kind of movie is that?"asked Takumi.

 _Dio mio!_ The things that came out of Yukihira's brain. He was probably dropped on his head at birth.

"Ah! Lego!" Yukihira pointed to the sky as if he found the answer "They're all made of Lego!"

Takumi shook his head at the maverick chef with utter shame. He was sorry Ayame had to see this. Even more so that he had admitted a few moments ago that he was his friend. He turned to look at Ayame to see if she too had a confused look about her, but instead she looked pensive and in deep thought. She had that 'turtle-face' expression when she was also thinking very hard, like solving a hard calculus problem.

"Star Wars?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. That's the one. Right" sighed Yukihira and he grinned at her.

Takumi could see him visibly relaxing as he was free from his torture of using his brain at maximum capacity. He didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. Takumi tutted in his mind. Yukihira continued to guzzle his ice-cream, his brain freeze had obviously vanished.

"You get to kill all the bad guys, and you'll be able to blow up the big…"

Yukihira was stuck again and waved his hand in the air as he went all the way to square one and tried to figure out the name of the most iconic thing from the one of the most famous movie franchise of all time. Even Isami looked amazed that Yukihira was having another bout of losing his words.

"Death Star?" Ayame offered him again.

"Yep the Death Star thing. Then you can go live happily ever after on the planet of the teddy bears"

"They're called Ewoks _. Ewoks"_ said Ayame, trying not to bust a gut laughing.

"Haha… yeah, my bad. It's been a while since I caught up with the latest games, movies and stuff" chuckled Yukihira.

Takumi could tell Ayame was about to say that _Star Wars_ had been around for decades, but she stopped herself and just concentrated on trying to finish off Takumi's ice-cream.

"There's so many of these space movies like Star Wars out there. They're so popular and it's easy to see why. Who wouldn't want to go on a space adventure and discover galaxies, different solar systems, aliens and black holes?" said Yukihira, finishing off the chocolate-caramel flavour and began attacking the Nutty Surprise. "Oh, that reminds me. I've been wondering about this ever since I've heard of black holes and I think you're the best person to ask about it, since you're into science"

Yukihira turned his body more towards Ayame and she looked up at him curiously.

"Can you survive going in and out of a black hole?" he asked with genuine interest.

Ayame swallowed her mouthful of ice-cream and placed her spoon into the cup. She licked her lips and Takumi cursed the missed opportunity to kiss her sweet remnants of pistachio ice-cream form her delectable lips. She took a moment to think about her answer and Takumi tilted his head, watching the gears in her head click with silent adoration.

"You will surely die if you fall straight into the centre of a black hole. The _tidal force,_ which is the same type of force that creates tides and tidal waves on Earth, will _stretch_ your body as your feet fall to the centre of the black hole _faster_ than your head does. Assuming you're falling feet first, that is."

Ayame lifted both hands in the air and pinched her fingers together. She dragged one hand down, symbolising the feet falling into the imaginary black hole in front of Yukihira, while the other hand in the hair stayed there as the head.

"Your body begins to stretch. It will stretch so significantly that ultimately you will _snap_ into two pieces, as the tidal force exceeds the intermolecular forces of all the molecules that make up the flesh, blood and bones in your body. You will likely snap at the base of your spine… _first!"_

Ayame held up her finger emphasise her point.

"First? There's more?" Yukihira's face started to pale.

"Yep, as these two pieces of you keep falling into the centre of the black hole, those two pieces would snap into another pair, and then another pair. You'd be _bifricating:_ one, two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two and so on until you're this stream of atoms descending into the abyss. That's not even the _worse_ thing that will happen!"

Ayame's excitement peaked and Takumi chuckled at her exuberance. He could never get enough of it.

"What…? It's not?"

"Nope! In the black hole, the fabric of space and time _funnel_. Down to a point. That point is called the _singularity_. So, as you fall to the centre, you occupy a narrower and narrower range of space-time"

Ayame gestured a funnelling motion with her hands and Yukihira gulped, but couldn't tear his attention away.

"And so as you get ripped apart from head to toe, you get _extruded_ through the fabric of space like toothpaste through a tube"

"…"

"That's if you fall to the centre. But if you have a trajectory that does _not_ go through the centre, then in _principle,_ this won't have to happen to you"

Yukihira sighed in utter, utter relief.

"You could conceivably survive a trajectory into a black hole, _but,_ getting out is the hard part. Scientists are still working on that"

"I… don't know what I expected" admitted Yukihira as he exhaled like he'd run a marathon.

Takumi smiled. He was having a _really_ good day. The autumn day was beautiful as Isami had shown him on his _Instagram._ He spent the day with the two people he loved most, Ayame's father and grandfather didn't call him a CIA spy, Isami was back to being happy and cheerful, Ayame got to have her science talk, and stupefy Yukihira at the same time.

What could be better than this?

* * *

 **This chapter is short reprieve for the characters. It's the weekend so everyone's having some time off :)**

 **The story of what happened to the dog was based on a true story. It happened to my sister's boyfriend's family. It was a sad tale when I first heard it. I thought it would was perfect to illustrate a hidden side to Ayame's dad.**

 **Short-term or 'episodic memory' is an issue for people living with dementia. They often can't remember what's happened in the last few minutes, or the day before, or what happened in the last week. However, they sometimes can remember things that have happened decades ago (Long-term memory) with astounding clarity. I had a patient who couldn't remember he has a wife when I asked about her. He replied "I have a wife?" and he was so confused. But as the conversation moved along, he started telling me about going to the Melbourne Cup race of 1940-something with his _wife_ and they shared a picnic together. Memory is a very tricky thing.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think and I'll see you again soon :)**

 **Signing-off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	44. Stories Become Us

_Chapter 44 - Stories Become Us_

* * *

"WOOOO! Go Byakko! Make the kill shot! Kill shot!"

Alice was gunning to be the loudest person out on the field. She scrambled to her feet and pumped her fists repeatedly in the air like a mad-woman as she feasted her eyes on her boyfriend skilfully dribbling the soccer ball across the grass, deftly dodging and weaving past the other players as they attempted to steal it from him. Alice jumped up and down on the balls of her feet and clapped so hard, her hands stung. Her heart beated in her chest to the pace of _Vivaldi_ and she stared mesmerised as he manipulated the ball to-and-fro, not letting another pair of feet come near it before taking a humungous stride and kicked the ball at an impossibly sharp angle. She held her breath as it torpedoed past the goalkeeper's head and pelted the net with a loud _thwump!_

"Alright! Woo!"

She cupped her reddening hands around her lips and hollered across the field. A bout of echoing cheers resounded from the other spectators who'd come to root for the home team.

She missed this a lot.

Supporting Byakko on the sidelines in one of the inter-school practice matches was something she used to do back in middle school. Being here right now brought up those blessed memories again. She remembered having to sneak out of the manor after faking being sick so that she could escape on one of her many forbidden trysts with her silent and gentle giant. He didn't like the fact that she was willing to lie to her family to be with him, so she stopped telling him she snuck out so that so he didn't have to feel uncomfortable. She was unsure if he still knew she had been sneaking off because he had never asked her again. Looking back, Alice didn't regret it one bit. She would've done anything for a moment of happiness with Byakko.

' _But when his safety and career was in danger… Sacrificing my happiness was a small price to pay'_

Alice shook her head and erased the overwhelming surge of sadness. This was different now. They were in a happier time. _Ojii-sama_ approved of Byakko which was a tremendously good step.

Her boyfriend hi-fived another player as he jogged across the field, back to his own position as striker. He puffed and panted as his lilac-locks fell loose from his half-pony-tail, sticking to the side of his chiselled face slicked with sweat. Alice ran her tongue across her bottom lips. It was so easy to spot him, not only because of his hair, but also his height. He towered over all the other players. She smirked. Byakko lifted his arms to re-tie his hair and his short sleeves slipped down to reveal toned biceps flexing as he tugged his half-pony-tail through loops of his hair-band. She could definitely get used to this again. Alice patted down her shirt-dress and resumed side-kneeling on the picnic blanket she had brought along. After accumulating an accolade of back-pats from his team-mates, Byakko's fierce eyes sought hers with no effort. A soft smile played on his lips which Alice knew she was the only one who could detect it. Alice answered back with a teasing smile of her own, which she only reserved for him and gave him a short and demure wave. The shrill pierce of the whistle stole his attention again.

 _"Is that Kuchiyose-kun's girlfriend over there?"_

 _"Is she? I thought he was single…"_

 _"Rumous say he started dating not too long ago…"_

 _"Awww man…"_

Ha! Plebes. As far as she was concerned, Ayame-san said he hadn't dated in all the time she'd known him in Karakura High school. Alice fought the urge turn around and give the girls up on the grassy slope behind her one of her sultry sneers and a graceful one-finger salute. The wind was great at picking up sound and carrying it off to distant places, didn't they know that? Of course she could hear them as clear as day. How droll. She bit her glossy lips and suppressed a giggle instead and shook her head. She sighed and focused on the game. Another gust of wind picked up and she wrapped her thick cardigan closer around her.

The autumn always brought out the best of her fashion, which was why it was her favourite season. Such gorgeous colours! Red, orange, gold, bronze, all of them the perfect colour scheme. She donned a burgundy shirt-dress with a cute belt that went below her bust with gold buckles. She had on a pair of black-leggings beneath which was tight around her legs. Legs she worked out in her gymnastics elective class. She had on her sepia knee-high suade boots with the fluffy faux fur around the top lining too. They were her favourite boots! Alice had decided to forgo the scarf and instead brought a long and heavier cashmere dust-pink cardigan that was slightly over-sized so that she could cuddle to keep the biting winds at bay, like it did now. It was tailoured for her in _Danmark_ so it was practically made to do the job in keeping warm a hundred and ten percent. Her silver tresses whipped delicately around her face and she swept them back around her ears with a manicured hand.

Alice spotted something from the corner of her eye.

A benched soccer play was throwing curious glances at her. Alice grinned. It was bound to happen… Once upon a time, she would've been flattered and might've thrown a wink over at him to tease out an amusing reaction, but right now all she thought about was throwing winks at Byakko whenever his beautiful hazel eyes strayed to her, just to see if his mental concentration during soccer was still as strong as people claimed it to be. Alice smoothed out her shirt dress again which barely made it to her knees. Watching Byakko stumble over his own two feet in the middle of a game because of her would've been funny to see. Too bad it was rare.

"Yoohoo! Alice-san!"

Alice shifted from her spot on her picnic blanket and twisted around in curiosity.

Well, well, well.

"Ayame-san! What a surprise. Oh! The Aldini twins and Yukihira-kun too"

The bright and smiling face of her new friend filled her with warmth. The group of them were carefully walking down the grassy knoll in her direction. The elder Aldini was clad in his forever stylish clothes walked in front of Ayame-san, holding her hand as he guided her after him down the slope, taking measured glances at her to make sure she didn't stumble. Meanwhile, Isami Aldini was hanging onto Yukihira-kun's sleeve as he dragged him along like a toddler. Alice excitedly waved them over. She had no idea they were coming to spectate the game today! Byakko hadn't said a word! Either way she was ecstatic to have someone intelligent to converse with while the match was still in full swing. She believed they had about forty-five minutes to go until it was over and filling up that time with Ayame-san was perfect. The Karakura student's face was bright pink from the cold winds as it nestled in what she knew was one of Takumi Aldini's fashionable checkered scarves. The Aldini-twin's noses were red too. Yukihira-kun on the other had a rather severe and pensive expression on his usually cheery and cheeky face. He seemed to be on autopilot or a trance compared to the rest of them, his feet clumsily plodding along the slope. How odd.

Once they reached her, Alice got up and gave Ayame-san a hug and pressed a friendly kiss to her cheek while the she nervously did the same.

"Long time no see~ Aww, you should be used to the European hello by now" Alice teased.

"Y-Yeah" said Ayame-san shyly. She threw the blonde Italian a bashful smile and he smiled back. He lifted his fingers and brushed a bit of something from Ayame-san's cheek before pulling the scarf over her face to keep the cold out again. How adorable!

"Good afternoon Alice-san" said Aldini-kun who offered her a stationary wave. She needed to ask him what brand was that scarf of his.

"Likewise" she said in her usually lilting voice.

She turned around to the other brother and smiled. She leant over and gave Isami-kun a hug and kiss on the cheek, and he too returned the greeting.

"Hi Yukhira-kun. Are you contemplating the meaning of life? 'Cause you're wasting your time. I'll tell you now, the answer is forty-two" laughed Alice as she slapped him on the back.

"Hey…" he replied airily with no sense of conviction or even awareness of who said 'hi'. The red-headed student stumbled forward and rooted himself to the spot again. His squinted golden eyes were still glazed over and his brows were knitted together tightly. He didn't extend his response in any verbal or physical way, only his fingers grasping his chin in deep concentration.

"Hello there~?" Alice clucked her tongue in annoyance and snapped her fingers in front of his face.

 _Nothing?!_

"He's having an existential crisis" chuckled Isami-kun. "Ayame-chan dropped him a real doozy about black holes and now he's questioning everything around him"

"Told him that falling into the centre of the black hole involves snapping at the waist, bifricating a million times before getting squeezed like toothpaste out the tube on the way to the singularity" said Ayame-san.

Alice hummed and pulled away from Yukhira-kun, quickly growing bored and mildly perturbed of his blank face. Trust Ayame-san to turn one's world upside down by simply having a conversation to do with science. She should be on a watchlist. She guessed in Yukihira's case, she turned it inside out and slingshot it through to the fifth dimension at the speed of light. Alice knew enough about black hole theories to have a decent conversation with her. Molecular gastronomy weren't the only things they bantered about. Black hole theories and String Theory were sometimes part of water cooler gossip amongst the scientists back at Nakiri International. But Yukihira-kun and his vulnerable brain? He didn't stand a chance.

"And I think I broke him" Ayame-san continued. She also stepped forward and waved her hands in front of Yukihira-kun's eyes. Again, no response.

"You didn't break his legs. He still followed all the way here us like a zombie. Couldn't shake him off" said Takumi Aldini as if it was a nuisance.

"Now, now _Fratello,_ that's not a nice thing to say" Isami Aldini attempted to placate his brother and he patted him on the back.

Takumi Aldini merely shrugged and continued to throw furtive looks at Yukihira-kun. Alice quickly tired of discussing Yukihira-kun's frozen state of perpetual introspection and took Ayame-san's hand and dragged her down to the picnic blanket. Time for some girl chat! It was spacious enough for all five of them, which was fantastic. She shoved her picnic basket out of the way for more room to stretch their feet and they settled comfortably with her.

"Anyone hungry? I've got plenty of food"

The silver-haired Danish eagerly dug through the basket and procured small boxes of _bentou_ and passed it around to each person before they could say anything. Next she passed bottles of mineral water and juice

"A-Ah _grazie_ , but… why do you have so much food?" asked Takumi Aldini, as his eyes bulged wonder.

"Byakko eats for a family of five" she chuckled.

"Don't I know it" Ayame-san chimed in.

She had given Takumi Aldini a small box which encased a koi pond inspired bentou dish. She had two boxes of this one, so she wasn't worried about Byakko missing out. The edges were surround by boiled soy-glazed teeny-tiny _new potatoes_ with the skin still onfor the rock-pond border and in the middle, was filled with rice which she carefully boiled in her special stock of _spirulina_ algae, the new super-nutritious food trend in Japan. Byakko would only get the healthiest dishes from her! The _spirulina_ algae gave the rice a sky-bluish tint resembling the water and Alice had fashioned squid and gourmet sausages pieces into koi-fish. It was basic, but she had a lot of fun making it. The Aldini carefully picked at the rice with the accompanying pair of chopsticks and once he dug it up, it revealed colourful layer of seasoned seaweed, lean teriyaki chicken and _tobiko_ buried underneath.

"This is amazing Nakiri-san" said the Aldini as he took a mouthful of the first morsel.

 _"Tak._ Byakko and I were going to have a romantic picnic together after the game, but having it with you guys is fine too, I suppose" Alice sighed dramatically and gave him a pointed look.

Takumi Aldini spluttered and had the decency to look all red-faced and embarrassed.

"I'm just kidding! _Åh min gud,_ take a joke will you? Having lunch with you guys is fun. Don't worry your pretty little head about it" Alice got up on her haunches and patted the red-faced _Italiensk_ on his golden head to make her point. He huffed and swatted her hand away, but his face remained cherry-red. It was too good a chance to miss, making him all flustered. Takumi Aldini was always entertaining!

"Ohmahgash, shish ish sho gooood!"

Alice turned around and was filled with joy to see Ayame-san stuffing her face with her famous _temarizushi_ bentou, not giving an ounce of notice to how uncomfortable she was making Takumi Aldini. Those _temarizushi_ were the same ones she made during the Autumn Election competition last year. Her heart ached a bit when she was preparing them this morning, but it quickly dissipated when she remembered she was making them for their lunch, rather than for a competition. She watched as Ayame-san's face was exuding beams of sunshine and unabashed satisfaction as she gobbled them up one by one. Ayame-san picked one up and offered it to her boyfriend's lips who'd already managed to get his blood pressure under control. He looked a bit stunned before accepting it and carefully plucked the intricate _termarizushi_ from her dainty fingers with his teeth with a light blush.

' _Ah young love!'_

Ayame-san began to happily distribute more _temarizushi_ and was adamant to make everyone take a piece to share the delicious joy. That girl was one in a million. Alice liked people who loved food as much as she did and accepted all food that was laid out before her. Eat first, ask questions later. That was how it had to be in the food world. She knew how to enjoy eating which was very refreshing to see. She and Takumi Aldini made a good couple.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to eat this? They're for Kuchiyose-san…"

Alice swivelled around to whoever was addressing her. It was Isami. Ah she almost forgot he was here too. What a scatter-brain she was today. He hesitantly fingered the lid of the bentou-box before gingerly accepting a _temarizushi_ piece from Ayame-san's impatient fingers. The same fingers were then forcefully prying the stone-faced Yukihira Souma's jaw and shoving a piece of _temarizushi_ into his mouth and then clamping it shut.

"Don't worry about it, there's plenty more. Dig in!"

Alice flapped her hands at them like a mother shooing her kids for asking a ridiculous question. Honestly! She said it was okay, so it was okay! Geez, what was with people trying to be all overly-considerate and self-conscious when having a _clear invitation_ to eat? She hated that. If she didn't want them to eat with her, she would've told them the picnic basket was dry and empty.

"Were you here since morning?" asked Ayame-san who was taking a break from inhaling sushi.

"Mmhhmm. Byakko's team get up super early to fit in laps around the field before playing"

"That sounds about right. So, where's the game up to now?"

"Karakura is currently leading seven to five. He's got it in the bag" Alice flicked a non-committal gesture at the players on the field.

Alice's eyes tracked Byakko's tall frame up and down the field. She wondered if he had already spotted the four new guests who joined her on the picnic mat too. Probably not. "So what about you, Ayame-san? What were you four up to today?" asked Alice, turning to face the girl bundled up in the checkered scarf.

"Takumi-kun, Isami-kun and I went to visit _Ojii-san_ at the hospital. He had a mini-stroke a week ago. He's fine now and he'll be discharged in a couple of days"

"Oh sorry to hear that, but at least he's coming home soon, so he must be doing pretty well" said Alice. She patted Ayame-san's hand.

"Then we met up with Yukihira-san at the ice-cream parlour. When we finished, we all decided to see if Kuchiyose-kun's practice match was on today and here we are!" said Ayame-san with a flourish of her hands.

"Ice cream in this wea—"

"Everyone talks about black holes being portals to another universe. There _has_ to be a scientific theory behind it to kick-start that idea first, right? Could that be true? There's evidence that they could actually be _portals_?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Ah welcome back Yukihira-kun" laughed Isami Aldini.

The Danish Nakiri Princess gawked at the red-headed chef. Hearing the words 'black hole' coming from the diner-chef's mouth was almost surreal and she had to blink a few times at him to ensure that he had indeed said something for the first time since sitting down. But Seriously? _Now_ he tuned in? Not that he tuned into his actual surroundings properly in the first place, because that would've been too much to ask for. She could see Takumi Aldini rolling his eyes and Ayame-san was holding back a laugh and clutching her stomach.

"Oh yeah! Hey Alice, the bentou's are great by the way. Thanks for the invite. Sorry I wasn't all there. Had to get something off my mind first" said Yukihira-kun as he lifted up his bottle of juice in cheers. The acuity in his honey-gold eyes had already returned and his huge smile took over his face like it normally did. He looked kind of embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Not at all" she sighed.

Ah… the things that went on in Yukihira-kun's brain were such as mystery. One needed a crowbar to pry out that noggin of his.

"Ayame, do you want to break him again?" asked Aldini-kun, who prodded Ayame-san in the ribs, earning him a cute squeal and a blush.

"Hmm… maybe another time" she answered back by stealing a sausage koi fish from his bentou.

With Yukihira-kun back in the land of the living, the five high schoolers melted back into some light-hearted conversations, with the added bonus of Yukihira-kun regaling tales of his latest concoction with a new style Yukihira diner secret burger, which wasn't so secret now. While the three boys started preening and metaphorically strutting around each other as they continuously one-upped each other in their latest recipes escapades, and whatever other locker-room talking nonsense, Alice turned her attention back to Ayame-san.

"So how've you and Kuchiyose-kun been?" asked Ayame-san.

Alice gave a rueful smile. "As good as I could hope for" she said, tracing her nails against her thighs

"Oh? Lots of hoping lately?" Ayame whispered with concern.

"That's all I can do. But Nothing's wrong or anything. _Ojii-sama_ likes Byakko, even though Byakko didn't say much in the initial meet-and-greet a few weeks ago. I think that worked in our favour because _Ojii-sama_ doesn't like people who are all talk. He said he liked a man who talked because they _have_ something to say, rather than talk because they have to say _something_. I still feel… guilty, about what I did to him. I'm not sure if I still deserve his feelings. He said he never stopped loving me... But he must still resent me at times. He has every right to"

Alice exhaled loudly and craned her head to the pinking sky. She watched the heavy clouds drift by at a glacial pace, wondering if all this would come to pass and everything would be alright again. Well, it was but it felt it like everything could slip right from under her when she least expected. being with Byakko again was already too good to be true so maybe all her luck and good karma had run out and her future hopes would be meaningless. She wouldn't be surprised. She reckoned she had a lot of bad karma saved up to ruin the little bubble she tried to patch up for herself. This anxiety hit her like an earthquake. It shook her world and suddenly stopped. Everything moved back to the way it was before, but not quite right. Just a few millimetres out of place and it was as if she was the only one who noticed it and couldn't right anything. It drove her mad. She feared the earthquake was never over in first place, and that the aftershock was must biding its time in the distance, waiting for the right moment to deal the final blow.

"That's not it" said Ayame-san. "Kuchiyose-kun as you know doesn't show his emotions often, but trust me when I say, that ever since you two have gotten back together, he's the happiest Chizuru-chan and I had ever seen"

She reached over and grasped Alice's hands, causing her to stiffen in fright. They were soft and warm, the opposite of her heart and it made her unusually uncomfortable but she didn't move away. She looked up in surprise and her lips fell slack into a small 'o' shape as she stared into Ayame-san's vibrant green eyes and was immersed in the earnest and worry which etched into her face.

Alice finally retracted her hand.

"Oh come on, of course Byakko must've felt it at some point. Every human would"

"Maybe he did when he _didn't_ know why you ended it. But he does now. To him, what's the point of resenting you for something that was out of your control? All that matters to him is… well, you still _love_ him and want to take another chance with him"

Alice scoffed and regretted it instantly when Ayame-san pursed her lips at her cold gesture.

It was more like another chance with _her…_ He had done nothing to deserve all the crap she flung at him. Ayame-san's words made some sense though, but that did little to dissuade the guilt that weighed like a boulder in her gut. Alice looked away from Ayame-san, too uncomfortable with her strong gaze and continued to stare listlessly out into the field until it narrowed on Byakko as he passed the ball half-way across the length of the field to another team-mate. The burning concentration marring his face kindled heat in her gut. Her heart twisted in her chest again. He still loved her and it made her breath-takingly happy! But… the _guilt…_ the guilt was her poison spoiling any good feelings she desperately wanted to escape with.

Ayame-san poured herself another drink.

"He's a different person now, Alice-san. He's not a shell anymore. He has life in him because of you. I could see him texting you under his school desk with a smile on his face when he thinks we're not looking. He's bantering with Chizuru-chan a lot more and even gave her a noogie. He doesn't zone out when I'm helping him with his physics homework, the soccer captain said his performance is just sky-rocketing. Need I say more? Yeah I do, actually. His eyes are just brighter in general, like he's realising something magnificent for the first time or having an epiphany _every twenty seconds_ "

Alice forced her eyes back to Ayame-san's green ones and fought the oncoming flinches from having to confront the eyes of her boyfriend's best friend. Her heart unclenched a little more, allowing her to breathe. Byakko was happier with her? Was that true?

"I mean, I-I'm sure he wasn't 'dead' inside when you guys w-were first together and I guess I just assumed that-that he was devoid of all energy when you guys split and w-well, Chizuru-chan and I hadn't met him until high school so… so u-uh… w-we wouldn't truly know for sure what he was like before- oh I'm so s-sorry, I'm babbling and not making sense!"

Ayame hand floundered a bit and then buried her face in it with a high pitched-groan. Alice sighed. She smiled again and gently eased Ayame-san's hand from her face.

"I get it Ayame-san, I guess… I just need time to adjust and… Even though Byakko thinks he doesn't need to forgive me for anything, I still need to forgive _myself_ " said Alice. "I want to make it up to him for lost time, for hurting him, just for everything"

"Does Kuchiyose-kun know you're still in torment over it?" asked Ayame-san.

"I don't know. He'll probably find out sooner or later. I could never keep secrets from him for very long. Except the one where I broke up with him. Well, keeping that secret for one and half years is _really_ good for my record. I mean, there were countless of times I just wanted to pick up the phone and tell him everything to make the pain disappear"

"It's to do with the eyes I think. Kuchiyose-kun has these sets of incredibly intense eyes that make you feel really stupid if you tried to keep something from him. It's impossible to lie to his face" said Ayame-san in thought.

"Bwahahahaha! That's so true!"

Alice doubled over and gripped her stomach. Ayame-san did the same thing and soon the two girls were guffawing with no reservation. They gripped onto each other's hands. Tears leaked from her eyes and she wasn't sure it was out of laughter or she was actually crying out of frustration. Once Alice got a hold over herself and wiped the tears from her eyes. The laughter ebbed away until there were just deep breaths and the silence settled between them, only permeated by the occasional whistle or audience cheering in the distance.

"Honesty is the best policy. I think you should just tell him how you feel, before he finds out himself" said Ayame-san.

"I suppose you're right"

She turned back around to the boys."Hey Aldini! You're so lucky that Ayame-san— huh?"

They were all in a trance.

She was miffed that none of the guys were giving her an ounce of attention when she called for one of them immediately, but it didn't last long. The Aldini twins and Yukihira-kun's eyes were bulging out of their sockets and all their upper limbs were frozen in mid-air! Their jaws laid open for the flies to park and each of their face was tinged with a fine dusting of pink which quickly morphed into crimson. There was such interest in their eyes as they stared across the soccer field. What was going on? Since when were they _that_ into soccer? Alice huffed and traced their line of vision and gasped once she realised why they were possessed so ardently with the game.

"How does… How does he _get_ that?" muttered Isami Aldini, patting his stomach.

"A-Are they for real?" murmured Takumi Aldini, leaning forward.

"I want abs like Kuchiyose-san…" whispered Yukihira-kun with sorrowful yearning.

In slow motion, Alice's eyes locked onto Byakko like a lioness on a prey. Blades of green grass kicked up around him from players sprinting by. He panted from his latest score, his chest heaving up and down as he inhaled the cold air through his flaring nostrils and exhaled through his wide mouth. Alice was transfixed on his bobbing Adam's apple as he occasionally swallowed. That wasn't the main attraction through…

One of his sinewy arms had pulled the hem of his shirt over his chest and used it to wipe the sweat off his face, lips and brow. He revealed a set of _very_ defined and toned abdominal muscles rippling under his flawless skin as he slowed his jog to a walk, encompassing long strides across the field. Years of soccer training had sculpted his body to be the perfect athlete and Alice couldn't thank the lord enough. His sweat riveted through ever dip and crevice on his body, trailing down a perfectly trim waist beneath his waistband, like snakes slithering into cracks in the earth. As Byakko pulled his shirt higher to reach his brow, Alice had to bite back a whimper and squirmed in her seat from visually molesting his firm pectorals that were just begging to be pawed. She was starting to feel hot all over and was in dire need of ridding her cardigan. All too soon, the lilac-haired soccer player dropped his shirt, ending the show, and resumed jogging to his designated area.

' _Oh my…'_

Alice released a strangled breath and muffled a groan before catching herself from slumping forward and embarrassing herself. There was no way she could show to her friends how affected she was just from perving on her boyfriend wiping away sweat. _Åh gud_ , she missed cradling him against her softer body when they found a moment's peace just to be with each other. It felt like a life-time ago. She was at a lost at how she would get used to it again. Thinking about it now, she didn't think she was _ever_ used to seeing and feeling every inch of Byakko's figure. Each encounter felt like the first…

"In times like this, we remember that us girls aren't the only ones who're concerned about body aesthetics" said Ayame-san.

Amen to that.

Alice caught her squinting at her _Italiensk_ boyfriend whose chopstick had fallen into his lap while he ogled Byakko shamelessly. In a similar fashion, Isami Aldini's hold on his plastic cup was tipping precariously to the side, dribbling the juice down the rim towards the grass and his sky-blue eyes too, were all over Byakko. Yukihira-kun's jaw was practically on the ground and it was a miracle that his chewed-up food wasn't tumbling out. The three boys were still hypnotised as they continued babbling nonsense to themselves about vague hopes and wishes for bodies as ripped as Byakko's, having no idea how ridiculous they sound or looked. Meanwhile Ayame-san tore grass from the ground and threw them at their heads with very loud and throaty coughs of displeasure. It had very little effect on their induced state of pure and creepy admiration.

Yukihira was the first to snap back to reality.

"Hold up guys! Kuchiyose-san's abs look like that tray of mini-banana bread Megumi made last week. Takumi! That blue-rice bentou that looked like a koi-pond was _dope_. Then there was the _Doraemon_ themed bentou Isami just had. It's all coming together…"

Of course… Yukihira-kun could twist anything to be food-related.

The said boy sprung up onto his knees. He dropped his _bentou_ on the picnic blanket but luckily it landed upright so Alice was saved from belting out a three-hour lecture of food and dining etiquette regarding her _Burberry Blue Label_ edition picnic blanket. His golden eyes shimmered and he looked like was about to discover the secrets of the universe, or whether black holes were actually portals to another world. But what the hell was he talking about? What was coming together!?

The twins were finally roused by Yukihira's loud announcement and they promptly ripped their eyes away from Byakko. They gave questioning and mildly confused look towards Yukihira-kun.

"I'm on the verge of something here… _That's it!"_

He snapped his fingers.

"I've come up with a new recipeehhh!"

Alice had never laughed so hard in her life.

* * *

"But I wasn't staring at him that much!"

Takumi groaned at Ayame. She firmly had her eyes focused on her phone screen. Her thumb zipped through the buttons, typing at lightning speed, while her other arm was loosely looped around his elbow. They lead each other around the shopping centre with their friends some distance away. He leaned his head towards her and spied a tiny smirk teasing the edge of her lips. He wanted to kiss her and wipe it off her face, so he did.

Ayame tipped her head upwards at the last second and kissed him fully on the mouth making him melt.

"There's no shame, Takumi-kun. It's not a sin to want to have a good physique" she said in that good-two-shoes tone of hers.

Takumi didn't grumble as much, but she was not letting it go. Could this get anymore humiliating? Out of all people to gape at, it had to be Kuchiyose Byakko. Well, the soccer player did have _something_ worth looking at from a platonic and non-creepy sort of way… _uno momento per favore…_ he took that back. It was all-creepy and he was too embarrassed for words. It didn't help that Ayame sounded as if she was immune to Kuchiyose and his athletic build. He felt like a vapid high-school girl. If she thought he was _that_ distracted, she should've seen Yukihira's face. It was like he was lost before he discovered the lilac-haired giant. He'd found another reason to make Kuchiyose into his new best friend and strengthened their one-sided bromance. As evidence, the said red-headed was firing inane questions at the Karakura soccer star regarding his training regime and dieting, all to get the perfect muscled body. It was shameless, really. Takumi shook his head. As further evidence on how annoying Yukihira was being, Kuchiyose was trying very hard to situate Alice-san between them in attempts to buffer Yukihira's obvious idolisation, and be polite about it.

But Yukihira Souma was damn persistent.

Takumi tucked his hands into his pockets and measured his strides to match Ayame as she expertly weaved past people without taking her eyes off her phone. But all in all, that was some match, he had to admit. After the final whistle, as expected the Karakura team had defeated the opponents. Even though it had only been a practice game for the winter tournaments, it was still a big deal. When Kuchiyose had come over after his team de-brief, Takumi had greeted him as per normal and had acted normally and everything (at least he hoped). Only he had avoided looking at his exposed biceps and calf muscles for too long. He had been shocked when he crouched down beside Alice-san and pecked her on the cheeks. She had gasped in indignation and complained about the sweat and smell, but Kuchiyose ignored it completely, and rubbed his sweat-stained face into her hair, making her shriek.

Takumi was sure she enjoyed it though.

He still wasn't used to seeing Kuchiyose being affectionate and engaging in conversation. It was just too weird. Nonetheless, he was happy for them all things considered.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom" said Ayame, snapping her flip phone shut. She turned around and pressed a sweet kiss to Takumi's cheek and he returned it gladly. The bright sparkle in her eyes genuinely made his day.

"I'm coming too!" Alice-san jumped up and linked arms with Ayame ripping her from Takumi, causing her to stumble into the well-endowed chest of the Danish Nakiri. "So where's the public bathroom?" asked Alice-san, lifting her hands up to her brow and dramatically surveyed the Karakura shopping centre like a sailor searching for dry land.

"This way, up the escalators" Ayame pointed up.

"I'll wait for you, then we can go check out that new clothing store" said Takumi, pointing in the other direction.

He leaned over and pressed his lips to Ayame's cheeks again and smiled when she nodded and beamed at him. Before Ayame could say anything, Alice-san dragged her away up the escalator. Takumi grinned, waving at his girlfriend as she waved helplessly back. A warm comfort settled in his chest and he inhaled the air deeply. Today was relaxing in its own way and he couldn't be happier to be spending time with people he loved as well as people he wouldn't admit were friends aloud, as strange as that sounded. He didn't think spending time with Kuchiyose, Alice-san and Yukihira would be that enjoyable but they sure surprised him. They were loud and lively, raucous and very much embarrassing in more ways than one. But it was _fun_ and it felt like he had been missing that in Tootsuki for far too long. The only solace he could ever find was spending as much of his time with his _amore_ and by extension, her weird and wacky friends. Perhaps after meeting Ayame, he became a lot more chilled and easy-going too, compared to the hot-headedness he was once before.

"Suit yourself, I'm gonna check out that gaming store again. Let's go Isami"

"Be right with you"

Takumi stuttered a 'huh' before he realised that he was left with Kuchiyose. He was starting to regret thinking being with that guy was _fun_.

Kuchiyose shifted his bag of soccer gear from one shoulder to the other.

 _"Let's just head out to the clothing and get those new shirts you wanted"_

Okay… so Kuchiyose _was_ paying attention to his conversation with Ayame earlier about needing new clothes.

Kuchiyose began walking away and Takumi was deciding between catching up to walk beside him, or hobble behind a bit so that he didn't have to suffer in awkward silence by his side. The new shirts were to replace his stained ones. He'd been practicing in the kitchen at home as always and one day he wasn't careful and splattered chilli oil on his shirt. All the aprons in the apartment were in the laundry and he did remind himself to be extra careful, but like Murphy's Law as quoted by Ayame 'If something could go wrong, it _will_ go wrong' and she was right on the money. Chilli oil stains were the _worst._ It just wouldn't come off and he tried every trick in the book. Even the ones on the internet under the title of 'life-hacks'. His shirt was dotted with orange droplets… the only orange he ever liked were the trimmings on his _Trattoria Aldini_ chef's uniform, so they had to go.

He decided to run after him.

"Umm… shouldn't we wait for Ayame and Alice-san?" he asked.

"Empires rise and fall in the span it takes for Alice to finish doing whatever she does in the bathroom. Trust me. She won't allow Ayame to leave before her" said Kuchiyose.

"Oh"

Manipulating people into doing whatever she wanted with the irresistible power of her whining and play-acting as a damsel in distress was what Nakiri Alice did best. The thought made him worry more about Ayame now. The blonde Italian was still a bit hesitant to leave his _amore_ behind in Alice's clutches in the dreaded public bathrooms, but if Kuchiyose thought it was perfectly fine to go on ahead, then he guessed it was and he shouldn't be so nervous or anxious… it wasn't like he was condemning Ayame to a terrible fate. It was just two friends visiting the bathroom together, girls did it all the time! There must be something so wonderful in there for them to always want one of their flock to come with them. Boys never did that. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder towards the escalator riding up the next floor before falling into long strides with the soccer player. At least Ayame knew which clothing store he was talking about so she could find him again. Just to be extra sure, he pulled out his phone and texted her where he'd be.

"This is the store you wanted to check out right?" said Kuchiyose.

Takumi looked up and caught an earful of blaring trance and techno music. It wasn't too bad, not what he was used to but it did get his head bobbing and feet tapping a bit. It was a tad too loud and tried to block most of it out as he wandered around, browsing the men's section and fluttered his fingers along the different textures of shirts and jackets on display. He opened and ran his fingers along jackets that caught his fancy and pulled shirts, both short and long sleeved from the rack and inspected the length, material, size, and price carefully deciding which was the best to go with. Nope, didn't find any that he thought was good. Takumi replaced the long sleeve navy blue t-shirt and unlatched a red one from the rack. He hummed in thought. Not finding what he wanted, he meandered towards the discounts table and decided to try his luck there. He looked around to see where Kuchiyose was up to and found that he was looking over the jeans section before the tall boy quickly pulling his phone out of his pocket and placed it at his ears. Kuchiyose spun around and started moving quickly towards the store entrance, weaving pass the rack like an expert on a mission and Takumi distinctly heard a growling _'Okaa-san'_ fall from his lips just before vanishing outside.

' _I wonder what his mother could be saying that would warrant him dashing from the store like that…'_

Takumi shook his head as it was none of his business and went back to sifting through a mountain of shirts.

" _Why hello there_ _"_

"H-Huh?!"

A shiver ran up his spine as he dropped the hoodie-tee. He turned around.

It was a boy.

It was a boy, _right_?!

For the life of Takumi he couldn't tell! _Non, non._ It was a _boy_. His voice told him so. Just an extremely feminine looking one. He was short with golden blonde hair which was styled to look naturally unruly and his sun-kissed skin was sprinkled with light freckles which gave him a hint of childhood innocence, which belied the rest of his fashion. He looked like he strutted off the cover an audacious youthful punk magazine. Big blue feminine eyes glinted with delight at Takumi before giving him a searing once over, gliding down his body before back up to his own eyes. His clothes were as outlandish as what one would expect from the streets of _Harajuku_ and Takumi couldn't begin to find the words to describe it except it was punk or grungy _._ It was some sort of black shirt with silver geometric patterns which reminded him of the circuits on Ayame's collection of motherboards. On top of that he wore a dark, open leather biker's vest with an array of hand-stitched badges with words and phrases Takumi wasn't familiar with. He wore leather arm bands around his slim upper arms, and had black fingerless leather biker gloves on each of his hands, which propped themselves of his sharp, jutting hips. Takumi continued to take in this visually striking boy because… _well look at him!_ He had charcoal black skinny jeans with faded leopard prints, as if he had worn it to death. Around his hips was a tied up red flannel shirt hanging behind his… behind. When Takumi looked closely… _not that he was trying to!_ The boy had skull motifs imbedded in both his belt buckle and the buttons of his vest. Finally, the finish of the look he had thick booths with white fur lining the tops.

As if the wardrobe wasn't saying enough, he had a tattoo of a barcode on his neck…

"U-Uh… Hi. I'm j-just browsing" Takumi stuttered.

"Do all your clothes look like this at home? Because _this_ is doing you no favours, my friend"

The boy sighed and snapped his fingers to the side before twirling his finger at Takumi in random spirals going from head to toe in obvious disapproval. Takumi quickly inspected himself in typical panic fashion and embarrassment heated his cheeks.

"W-What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"So many things. I don't know what kind of look you're going for with that old waist coat, medieval tunic and sloppy cravat, but the 1832 Milan street-walk look has been over since… 1832"

"What?"

"You are _so_ lucky I'm here to help you"

The boy dived next to Takumi and shuffled him to the side and fished out something navy white from the pile and spun around and … _sashayed…_ over to another rack with more expensive looking shirts and swiped something from it. Takumi was on the tip of being acrimonious about a stranger who suddenly felt he could dictate and criticise his clothing choice in that lilting and flamboyant voice of his like it was his god-given right, however when he bent down, a yellow lanyard dangled from his belt hoop.

' _He works here. That explains it'_

"Now try these on! Change room's that-a-way"

The boy shoved a pile of jeans, t-shirts and jackets in his unsuspecting arms and thumbed the direction of the change room.

"Uh…"

"Hurry honey, I haven't got all day"

 _Honey?!_ Takumi was promptly pushed into the room. He wasn't even going to start thinking why somebody other than Ayame, _Mama_ and _Nonna_ was calling him _honey._ He should've known that all sense of his control was lost the moment he entered the store. How could he have not seen this coming. It looked like he had no choice but to follow the whims of this weirdo, knowing in full horror that the beast of a fashionista was waiting for him on the other side of the curtain. Takumi stared at the clothes in his arms with lingering bewilderment and battled over what the hell he should do. He'll just have to get this over and done with, get some plain shirts, leave and never come back again! Takumi swallowed hard and changed as quickly as possible.

' _Huh. Not bad'_

Takumi kind of liked this outfit. He was in a white v-neck shirt with Shakespeare quotes all over the front with a smart gun-metal blazer over the top and he had put on a pair of dark jeans. It was simple. Not only did it look trendy and casual, it fitted him perfectly! How did that guy know his size? Takumi turned around to examine all the other details like the stitching and the seams. They were very well made, so it must be on upper end of the price chain.

"Done yet?!"

"J-Just hold on!" Takumi yelled back.

He blushed bright red and tried to reign in his indignation over the whole affair. How on Earth did it get this far. He was just minding his own business, looking for some shirts and then _bam!_ A storm of blonde hair and punk-grunge slammed into him with an edict to go change his clothes _pronto!_ He should've stayed where he was and just waited for Ayame… He crept to the curtains and poked his head out. He was met face-to-chest with that guy again and the curtains were ripped to the side with no more room for hiding. He felt those blue eyes appraising him again in a critical way.

"Mhhhm. And this is why _Koko-chan_ does what he does. That's _me,_ by the way"

' _Koko? Chan? That's his name?!'_

Takumi yelped as Koko (Over his dead body he was going to add _-chan_ ) grabbed his wrist and yanked him into the shop with all the bright lights pointed at him. He dropped his wrist and circled Takumi closely with one hand on his hips and the other gripping in chin in admiring deep thought. He felt like a manaquin on display. Once he finished his circuit, s bright smile broke over his face and he gave a little clap at his handiwork

"Oh you look _fabulous._ Your boyfriend or girlfriend will thank me later" he winked at Takumi.

"Uh—!"

"Now let's get rid of your disaster of a cravat for good and get you a snazzy, chic scarf for the Autumn"

Koko didn't even wait for Takumi as he sauntered over to the scarves and accessory section, leaving Takumi to escape back into the change room. He just wanted shirts… decent plain shirts… He went through the quick task of stripping out of these trendy clothes and putting back on his 'medieval tunic', jacket, 'sloppy cravat' and jeans. He only got praises for his sense of style when he was in _Italia,_ and _Italia_ was the homeland for fashion!. Everyone was stylish in _Firenze._ Takumi exited the change rooms and dumped the new clothes a bit angrily into the nearest pile with a groan.

He looked around to see how fast he could escape the pushy shop assistant named Koko but his searching eyes caught Kuchiyose instead who was finally returning from his phone conversation. He stopped in front of Takumi and tilted his head at him, silently regarding his newly tried on clothes for a second. He hadn't felt so glad to see him in such a trying time.

"Are you done yet? The others are waiting" said Kuchiyose.

"I wished I was. Now quickly before—

"Oh my wooooord~ Is it my birthday?"

' _Merde_ _… too late'_

Kuchiyose looked down at the nut, Koko who seemed to magically appear from the side. _Dio mio,_ he was quick. The tall Karakura student blinked a couple of times with a blank expression. A knowing grin split Koko's face as he hung a navy-blue scarf over his shoulders to free his hands so that they can cross over his chest and his eyes roved all over Kuchiyose. Takumi narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Oh _Kami-sama_. So jealous" He sighed at Takumi "I wish I was you right now. And what do they call you, Dream-boat?"

"…"

"Tall and silent eh? Me likey. Tell me next time" He spun around to look at Takumi. "Relax, I won't steal your man. I'm no slut. Except between ten and three on Friday nights" he patted Takumi on the lower back, a little too closely to the hips.

Takumi's jaw dropped, trying to hold everything together but he was violently screaming in _lingua Italiano_ on the inside. Kuchiyose did very well to keep his poker-face intact but his stiff posture said _'uncomfortable and confused and I want to get out of here'_ all over it. It was as if Koko was unaware of how mortified he was making Takumi feel because he just scooped up the clothes and scarf he abandoned like nothing and strutted with his red flannel swishing behind him to the counter at the front of the store to scan them.

The two boys were still shell-shocked.

"So…" Takumi muttered. "He thought—"

" _Yep"_

"Nobody will _ever_ know about this"

"Way ahead of you"

* * *

"So all that time and no shirts?" asked Ayame.

Takumi tensed all over "Um… _Non._ They didn't have the ones I wanted. I-I'll look for them another time" he said.

Ayame nodded slowly and Takumi squeezed her hands tighter as the group of them wandered aimlessly through the shopping centre with no specific destination in mind. He searched for Kuchiyose out of the corner of his eyes to see if he was dealing with the post-traumatic stress as badly as Takumi was, but he was just listening to Alice chatter animatedly about something. Takumi could still detect traces of discomfort in his hazel eyes, no doubt still feeling raw over and befuddled about what transpired in the clothing store a few minutes ago. If anyone knew about what happened, he'd never hear the end of it.

Takumi and Kuchiyose had high-tailed it out of there and didn't look back. Forget the shirts. He'll get some later from a _different_ store.

"Hey…" piped up Yukihira. "Why are people crowding over there? Let's check it out"

Yukihira dashed past them, accidentally knocking into Takumi's shoulder and he hissed at the bruising contact. The red-head was right. People were massing at a spot on the other side of the mall and it was steadily growing. He was curious. Ayame tugged his hand, clearly interested to see what was going on too and so Takumi carefully lead her through the thickening throng of people. He carefully placed his hand on the small of her back to protect her from getting ribbed by others whose attention was also caught.

"Oh! The games arcade! We haven't been there in ages, right Byakko?"

He nodded.

Loud and upbeat music echoed and thumped in the air, making Takumi's heart vibrate in his chest. He craned his neck upwards to see what fuss was stirring in the games arcade, but he could only make out the flashing lights in the dimness.

"Someone's having a competition. Isami, what's that game called?" said Yukihira from Takumi's other side.

"It looks like a new version of Dance Dance Revolution. Whoever's on it, they are really _good._ Look at the high scores!"

Takumi didn't know much about Dance Dance Revolution except what Isami told him. It was a rhythmic game where players just stamped their feet on pressure-sensing arrows on the ground to the instructions displayed on the screen and the beat of the music. It could hardly be called 'dancing'. But the rolling numbers on the split screen adding up to the tens of thousands did deserve to be called an achievement. The crowd buzzed around the console with excitement and anticipation. Takumi watched Ayame carefully and she was every bit as excited as Isami and Yukihira. Between the gaps of people, Takumi still couldn't quite identify who the players were, only the flooding arrows sprinting up the screen and the vibrant and pulsing words like 'O.K', 'N.G' messing up his eyes.

"Hey isn't that—"

"Chizuru-chan?! It's Chizuru-chan! Hmph! She told me she was at work today!" Ayame gasped.

Oh so it was Namikaze!

And the other was… Terunori Kuga?

He rubbed his eyes, but it was true. They were stamping their feet furiously with solid gold concentration. While Namikaze was exerting excessive force and was all around a lot more clumsy and banging around, Terunori-senpai was a lot more fluid, like he knew exactly what he was doing. Namikaze was gripping the metal safety bar behind her with shaking and whitening knuckles, whilst Terunori was just gripping it firmly. One could definitely tell the little troll was using everything she had to beat Terunori. Finally the song ended with a massive electronic trill and the winner was flashed on the screen. It was Terunori-senpai. The audience clapped, whooped and cheered as the ex-ninth seater turned around and gave a magnificent bow with an enormous smirk on his round face. Meanwhile, Namikaze slumped against the metal safety bar as if she was done with life.

"Hey Kuga-senpai! Namikaze! I didn't know you guys hang out together" Yukihira bounded up to them.

Terunori flipped his head around and spotted them. His eyes brightened up.

"Ah, Yukihira-chin. Long time no see. Care to test your mettle? I exhausted this one over there. She can barely walk now" Terunori-senpai jabbed his thumb at Namikaze.

"Nah, I'm alright, mate"

Terunori stepped off the console and brushed the sweat from his brows with the back of his sleeves. Once Namikaze had the energy to look up, Ayame released Takumi's hands and made her way to her. She bent over her best friend with a raised brow, pushing her face right into Namikaze's. Her face drained of colour.

"Uh- I can explain—"

"That you lied to me so you could go on a date with Terunori-san?"

"What?! No! Y-you got it wrong! I-I-It's not a date!"

Takumi was enjoying watching Namikaze squirm under Ayame's heavy gaze.

"So he ' _forced'_ you to come with him to one of the places you _love_ to hang out?" Ayame kept going, trying to see how much further Namikaze could dig her own grave.

"I was at work! I wasn't lying… But- But then, he came along and y-you know how it is. He comes unannounced and just drags me to places and my boss does nothing about it! And-and-and then he challenged me to DDR! I couldn't miss an opportunity to thrash him!"

"The date didn't go according to plan, huh?" Ayame leaned back with a self-satisfied smile dance on her lips.

"It's. Not. Like. That. And stop laughing at me _Franco!_ "

Takumi kept sniggering anyway for her benefit.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. Since you've ditched work anyway, how about we _all_ go out _together_ to have some late lunch?" Ayame grabbed Namikaze's elbow and hauled her from the console. She closed her other hand around Takumi's. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles as she hummed in delight with an iron grip around her best friend's limb.

"Hi Terunori-san. How are you?"

Said boy turned around and a moment of recognition flashed across his brown eyes. He darted his eyes towards Namikaze in Ayame's grip, lingering on her for a long moment, and then he smiled and gave her a salute.

"Not bad, thanks. I remember you. You're Namikaze's friend. Kanda Ayame, right?"

"Yes I am. Would you like to come have lunch with all of us?" asked Ayame sweetly, gesturing to everyone in the group.

"Sure why not. I'm famished. Where are we going?"

"How about we get some halal snack-packs? I've been dying to try some, but Takumi won't take me" said Yukihira.

"For obvious reasons" Takumi bit back.

"Oh! Me too" Alice-san jumped in with Kuchiyose close behind her. "How about _Zesar?_ They also do fantastic charcoal chicken and their garlic sauce is to _die_ for. Let's go there"

The group nodded excitedly.

Takumi had no objections. He and Ayame had eaten halal snack packs amongst other things there many times. _Zesar_ it was _._

Ayame tugged on Kuchiyose's sleeve with an innocent smile and as if reading her mind, he hefted Namikaze over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes despite her shrill protests. He held her in place with no effort. Terunori-senpai trailed behind the giant and continued to tease his most recent muse as she struggled in futile to breathe as Kuchiyose's shoulder buried into her diaphragm. Once she submitted to what was probably Ayame's punishment for her, she instead tasked herself to try and slap Terunori-senpai across the face whenever he teased her. However, the Sichuan cuisine expert ducked out of reach each time which enraged her further. It looked like Terunori-senpai's taste in girls included short, loud, crazy and obnoxious trolls. Too each their own, he supposed. Ahead of himself and Ayame, Alice-san was non-stop yapping to Isami about one of her many past dates with Kuchiyose at the arcade and he listened with rapt attention, peppering comments in between that made the Danish Nakiri laugh. Meanwhile, Yukihira walked on the other side of Ayame, with his arms folded behind his head. He was pleading his _amore_ to answer his dying question from earlier about black holes and portals and if there were connections. And like the beautiful science nerd she was, slaughtered him with her mind-bending answers.

Takumi had a feeling he would be remembering this outing even after he was pruny, old and grey.

* * *

"Akira _sahib!_ Your many friends are here. They ask for you"

Akira wiped the sweat beading on his temple with his chef's uniform sleeve, and looked up from the sizzling pan towards the head-chef Mohammed.

"Friends?" he reconfirmed dubiously.

He was almost finished with frying the duck meat in the green curry spices. He just needed to plate up. Once he finished his tasks, plated up his dish and garnished it, he placed it on the long metal counter in front of the kitchen station for the waiter to take out, he wiped his hands in a tea towel and approached his hulking head-chef, feeling puzzled.

"Yes. Friends. Go make them feel welcomed!"

The burly man slapped him on the back and Akira stumbled forward before catching himself. His back stung like a bitch. He was the assistant chef! He didn't come out of the kitchen to talk to people! But head-chef Mohammed didn't seem to care. He was always making a grand entrance from the kitchen doors, and greeting the customers like a member of his family, asking how their sons and daughters were, as per the Middle Eastern hospitality. People from three blocks away could hear his booming laughter, he was sure of it.

But Akira was still racking his brains about _'friends'_.

Might as well find out. As soon as he opened the kitchen doors he regretted it.

Red hair.

Blonde hair.

Black hair.

Silver hair.

Purple hair.

Brown hair.

Brown hair with blonde dye.

and Namikaze.

What the—

"Yo Hayama! There you are. Six halal-snack packs, two whole charcoal chickens and double the garlic sauce please!"

.

Akira's brain short-circuited.

.

" _WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOT DOING HERE?!"_

* * *

 **Oh Akira, you didn't think you were done with Tootsuki did you? In case you forgot, Akira got a job at _Zesar_ as an assistant chef a few chapters ago. Yukihira managed to hang onto the grapevine long enough to find out where Akira ended up.**

 **Poor Kuchiyose and Takumi. They must be traumatised. And** **Takumi isn't as stylish as he'd thought! But everyone has their own sense of taste and style. Some are more judgmental than others, like the fabulously dressed Koko-chan, another comic character who might appear again.**

 **We've spotted a wild Chizuru and a Kuga :P Those two are as thick as thieves now and Ayame will never let her forget it. I've always imagined that Kuga would be game-savvy and quite good at arcade games haha.**

 **Let me now what you think and I'll see you soon!**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	45. Trying Times Ahead

_Chapter 45 - Trying Times Ahead_

* * *

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! I'm so sorry, I'm not usually like this!"

Ayame could barely hold it together as she fidgeted and squirmed in her seat. Takumi flew to her side and patted her hair, gently shushing in her air and pressing his lips to her sweating temple. He flinched when she did and fisted his other hand on his knee when she whined. The raw of antiseptic was unwelcoming to his nose and he had to rub his nostrils together to make the itching feeling go away. He carefully looked over to Ayame as she hissed and clenched her eyes, tears squeezing out from the side.

"Don't be sorry Ayame-san. You sprained your finger after all. Even the strongest of men can be reduced to tears. Believe me, I've seen more than my fair share of that. Almost there"

Ayame sniffed and nodded.

"You're doing very well _amore_ " he tried to comfort her.

Takumi looked up into the doctor's eyes as he expertly tied off the bandage that wrapped two of Ayame's fingers around the splint. Pure compassion can only be found in his amber-brown depths. He was a rather handsome doctor, somewhere in his mid-thirties, Takumi guessed. He had a sharp and angular face and a strong jaw. His smile was gentle and comforting, making Ayame feel at ease despite the pain she was going through. When Takumi first laid eyes on him while ushering Ayame to the local medical clinic, he was astounded by how tall he was. He was a lean-built man, from what he could tell from underneath the doctor's coat. His stethoscope hung around the back of his neck and bumped along his chest every so often when he was turning around in his wheelie chair to tend to Ayame's sprained finger.

Not to mention, the doctor had the most shocking head of orange hair he'd ever seen.

He'd never been to a clinic like this before. This was actually Dr. Kurosaki's house as well. The front was a family owned medical clinic and the back was the residential part. It was nice and had a homey feeling. Ayame said Dr Kurosaki was her family doctor and he'd treated her for any ailments for as long as she could remember. The nurse was really nice too, and she was Dr. Kurosaki's sister.

"Will you prescribe me pain killers?" asked Ayame.

"Yeah. You wouldn't make it through the rest of tomorrow day without it" he chuckled.

"Thank you so much Dr. Kurosaki" said Takumi.

"I bet you've never had a patient with such a pathetic reason for a sprained finger, right?" Ayame joked.

"You'd be surprised. Spraining your finger for trying to flip a wok on your first go is silly, but it doesn't reach my top ten. I can think of more pathetic reasons" he said.

"I'm glad. I feel less stupid" said Ayame.

"You just need to be more mindful, Ayame-san"

The Dr. Kurosaki scribbled on his prescription pad, not looking up at them, but his warm smile was still visible as he listened to Ayame. Takumi continued to rub her back. He was guilty for that. Ayame was so curious by nature, always wanting to try things out. He shouldn't have turned his back and left her alone at the stove. It was a lame thought, he knew, but he couldn't help but feel it was partially his fault she sprained her finger. This afternoon, they were going to have stir-fried noodles for lunch and Ayame showed him the wok her mother used. Takumi thought it was obvious that he would be the one cooking the actual noodles and tossing the wok, but it looked Ayame had other plans. He had lifted the wok onto the stove and at the same time assessed its quality. It was a normal Japanese style wok called a _chūkanabe._ It was good quality and was heavy, but rarely used based on the pristine and unmarred surfaces. No sign of wear and tear whatsoever. He had begun prepping the vegetables like any other day and he _assumed_ she was going to prep the noodles for him, like he had taught her to do previously.

But no.

She wanted to see if she had the capability to toss an empty wok.

All two kilograms of cast iron.

With both her hands.

She ended up spraining her finger. _On her dominant hand._

That was when Takumi vowed never to let her near anything in the kitchen that tempted her to test her limits. A sprained finger wasn't worth it.

"Out of curiosity, what was the lamest injury you've ever treated that reached your top ten?" asked Ayame, as she nursed her sprained finger in its brand-new finger splint.

"Hmmm" Dr. Kurosaki looked up in thought "I wouldn't call it lame, but the reason for the injury sounded bullshit to me. This boy came in a few weeks ago. Well, more like got dragged in by his girlfriend. He was acting all tough despite bleeding all over my floor. Anyway, he needed stitches on his arm. Once his girlfriend left to wait outside, he started ranting and telling me how much in pain he was. It's funny how far boys will bottle up their true feelings in the presence of a girl, just to show how macho they are" he said.

Ayame and Takumi looked at each other.

"Anyway. He told me he got attacked by a coffeepot in a bookshop"

 _Che?_

"He… got attacked. By a _coffee pot_ " Takumi echoed back.

"Yep. His girlfriend said the same thing too. They didn't want to say much about it, so I let it go. It looked like claw marks. He probably got attacked by a stray animal. The shot of local anaesthetic did the trick and quietened him down some and It was all routine from there. They'll be back soon to get the stitches removed" finished Dr. Kurosaki.

Ayame was eerily quiet beside Takumi and he wondered what was running through her mind.

"Here you go Ayame-san" he tore off her prescription and handed it to her. She took it with her other hand and thanked him profusely. "Take two tablets once every five hours. Don't get hopped on it. Okay?"

"Yes, Dr. Kurosaki"

Takumi stood up immediately and got the door for her. As Dr. Kurosaki stood up from his chair, Takumi had to crane his neck up and thank him as well. He was just shy of Kuchiyose's height. He smiled at them in a fatherly way and rubbed the back of his vibrant orange head. Luckily Takumi had already sorted out the paperwork for Ayame at the reception before Ayame headed into Dr. Kurosaki's examination room since she couldn't write anything down. All there was left was to head out to the chemist for her prescription painkillers. Right now, Ayame was in discomfort, but not in extreme pain. At least her fingers were wrapped together in a splint to stop any jostling.

Something caught Takumi's eyes. He paused on his way towards the door.

' _Safe Sex. No Regrets… Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Do You Know Enough About Them?'_

He stared at the small row of medical brochures lining the wall just beside the waiting room chairs. He didn't notice them when he first blundered into the clinic with Ayame. He was so busy panicking, apologising and worrying over his girlfriend and her sprained finger to care for his surroundings in _Kurosaki Clinic_. But seeing those titles in bright red triggered something very important and serious in him… and with it…

 _Shame_.

Ashamed that he and Ayame had unprotected sex, and he was so ignorant in these matters before even starting. Sure she had been on contraceptive, but that wasn't enough. There were other dangers aside from getting pregnant such as getting those diseases, right? His heart dropped. He didn't want Ayame to be in any sort of danger no matter how good the feeling was in being joined together in blissful euphoria. Being caught up in the moment wasn't a good enough excuse for lack of preparation and as a chef, he _definitely_ knew that. How many times had he and Isami been caught out by _Pappa_ for not properly preparing in the kitchen, leading to a retinue of catastrophes during lunch rush?Sure, they were probably five years old when that happened and were still learning how to organise themselves in the kitchen, but that was exactly why _Pappa_ trained them to always be prepared. If Ayame and he were going to be intimate with each other again in the near future, then be had better educate himself. Otherwise how could he be a better boyfriend to her?

He reached out to take one but then his arm froze.

He couldn't move.

Something stronger than shame overtook him and it was _embarrassment_. _Dio mio!_ This was suddenly so real! His face heated up to epic proportions. He had always avoided these sorts of topic and now he felt so cowardly and stupid about it. With Isami and in school, he tried desperately to tune out the lecture about the birds and the bees because his sensitivity towards anything related to sex raised his blood pressure to the roof and made him so embarrassed and uncomfortable beyond words. It had been such a difficult topic for him to talk about. Oh how he wanted the ground to swallow him whole so he didn't have to listen to the word 'sex', 'vagina' and 'condom'. Also his thirteen-year-old self never thought he would ever have sex with anyone because working in _Tratorria Aldini_ meant not time for fraternising and frivolity, and girls and relationships just never fitted into his world view of cooking. He had a set goal and there was no room for distractions.

But now he had Ayame. She was everything to him.

He had a duty.

"What's wrong, Takumi-kun?" Ayame paused next to him, already halfway out the sliding doors.

"Umm"

He didn't know how to start and was rooted to the spot. It felt like a hundred degrees in here! He refused to meet her questioning eyes.

"I-I think… u-uh. W-we should take one of th-these…" he stuttered. He sounded like an _idiota!_

"Hmmm?" Ayame followed his gaze and then her eyes widened upon realisation. "O-Oh umm. Yes. Absolutely. Y-you're right"

Takumi chanced a look at her and found that she was blushing madly next to him too. Her lips were pursed together, but still quivering and her eyes were also avoiding looking at him. He looked back to the rows of safe-sex and STD pamphlets lining the wall and steeled himself. He could do this. He could do this. He could do this! He reached out with shaking hands and grasped one. He overshot and ended-up taking five! _Merde!_ Takumi quickly tried to shove the extra back into the box, but it just crumpled when he couldn't fit back in. Why did this have to be so hard! He coughed in the hopes of covering up his clumsiness but it didn't really fix anything. Ayame had reached out and took two copies of the one for STDs. Her fingers were shaking too. A part of him was relieved she was just as embarrassed as he was.

Taking the pamphlets. Mission one accomplished.

Takumi cleared his throat again. "Maybe w-we uhh… should go through s-some of these, sometime? Since w-we… you know…" he muttered.

"Y-Yes! Yes we should!" Ayame said in a high-pitched voice before it broke off at the end.

What on earth did they look like? Two dorky and blushing teenagers clutching pamphlets about sexual health in their sweaty palms at the front of the medical clinic. He anxiously looked around the clinic waiting room at the other patients. He waited with bated breath for their judgmental looks and the curious and prying eyes. He waited for the whispers of condescension and contempt: _'Why are they looking at those pamphlet? Are you those two doing it already? Disgraceful!'_. It didn't happen, but the thought that it might happen triggered something else in the Italian chef. Why the _diavolo_ should he and Ayame be ashamed or embarrassed in wanting to find out more information about sexual health? They were just brochures! They were made for people to take! He and Ayame were doing the right thing for themselves, weren't they?

"C-C'mon, let's go"

He impatiently tugged Ayame out the door with him and she trotted to keep up. Once he realised she was behind him and not beside him, he apologised and slowed down. He stuffed the pamphlets into his inside jacket pocket. Around the next corner was the chemist so he and Ayame should quickly pick up her painkillers and head home for lunch. He would insist she would have a rest, put her feet up, relax and he would do all the cooking. Takumi thought of how she was going to eat with chopsticks since her sprained finger was on her dominant hand. Perhaps he'll just cut the noodles until they were an inch long and she could eat them with a spoon. _Si_ that could work.

" _Hehehe…"_

Takumi flitted his eyes to Ayame in confusion

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I was just thinking about what Dr. Kurosaki said"

"The coffeepot story?"

"Yeah. I think I know who the patient was. It was Terunori-san"

" _Che?"_

"Some time ago, Chizuru-chan told me that Terunori-san got attacked by a creature they called _The Thing_ in the bookshop and that _The Thing_ lived inside this old coffeepot Kojima-san has. She said Terunori-san didn't listen to her and annoyed the _The Thing_ and got himself hurt. She said she had to take him to the doctor for stitches!"

"What's _The Thing_?"

"I have no idea"

Takumi wasn't sure if he was in disbelief or was confused. It was probably a mix of both. Was there anything normal related to Namikaze? The girl seemed to kick up weird and wacky things in her wake and he was sure by now he would be used to it. But apparently, he wasn't. Takumi shook his head at Ayame, frowning at the incredulity of the story and with Namikaze's antics. Ayame thought it was hilarious, but he didn't. It was too weird to be funny.

"And did you hear that? Dr. Kurosaki thought Chizuru-chan was Terunori-san's _girlfriend_. Ha! I'm never going to let her live it down!" Ayame cackled darkly by his side and Takumi shivered at the evilness thickly coated in her tone as she smirked widely.

" _Si, si._ But let's get your painkiller's first" said Takumi, kissing her on the temple again until her black cloud of diabolical thoughts dissolved. He tugged his girlfriend around the corner. Tonight, she would be needing a lot of it.

 _Vorp! Vorp! Vorp! Vorp!_

Takumi halted as Ayame's feet pulled to a stop. She fished out her phone from her jacket pocket with her other hand. She struggled to reach, because it was on her otherside. She flipped it open and pressed it to her ears.

"Hello? Oh Isshiki-san, how are you?...mhhmm… oh, ah I'm just running an errand with Takumi-kun so… ah ok… I'll see… I'll call you back"

' _Isshiki-senpai? What does he want?'_

Takumi furrowed his eyebrows in deep concern. He wasn't aware the ex-seventh seater did social calls, especially with people he was well acquainted with such as Ayame… unless it _wasn't_ a social call. It put Takumi on edge. Not to mention that Isshiki-senpai was synonymous with being the master mind behind The Rebel Alliance. Ayame also had a worried look on her face and it made Takumi feel more anxious. He waited patiently for her to explain. He observed every minute details of her expression to catch what she was thinking and even what their conversation was hinting at. Finally, Ayame said a curt 'goodbye' and hung up with a quick snap of her phone.

Takumi cocked his head to the side. "What did Isshiki-senpai want?"

"It's about the plans against Director Azami. He umm… He asked me for another favour?"

* * *

Chizuru was so glad she brought her long jacket. It was freezing out here. She gripped the broomstick tighter in her chilled hands and diligently swept the crispy brown leaves out of the front of Kojima-san's shop. Luckily there were no winds today, otherwise she would've bailed out of her set task for the morning. No shit, the wind would just blow the leaves all over the place anyway. The air was frigid enough as it was and she felt her fingers were going to drop off. She swiped her fringe out the way and breathed in the cold, cold air. She instantly coughed and choked. Her breathing passages were unable to humidify the air in time before flowing down her throat. Sweep, sweep, sweep. She tried to get as much done as she could. She continued the robotic motions of pushing and shoving the large autumn leaves to the side. Goodbye Autumn, and hello premature-winter.

' _I wish I could say goodbye to cicada shells too. It's almost winter and they're still around!'_

 _Bleeeep!_ _Bleeeep_ _!_ _Bleeeep_ _!_ _Bleeeep!_

"Whoops. I'm famous today"

Chizuru rested the broom against the shop window before she dug her smartphone from her pockets and pressed answer.

"Hey Ayame-chan. What's up?"

" _Hey Chizuru-chan. Quick question. Do you still play Battlefield 3 on your PC? The one with the helicopter?"_

That was an odd thing to ask.

"Not anymore. Been more than a year since I played."

" _More than a year huh… hmmmm…"_ Ayame-chan sounded contemplative.

"But I don't think I de-skilled much in any of my older games though" added Chizuru, suddenly feeling defensive.

" _How would you rate your hand-eye coordination when playing games?"_ Ayame-chan asked.

"Like out of ten? I'd say nine. Ten out of ten on a good day. Why do you ask?"

" _Oh hang on a second... Yes?... Okay, I'm coming! I've got to go, Takumi-kun's calling me down for lunch. I'll explain everything. We'll talk more tonight?"_

"Uhh… Yeah sure. Tonight, then"

" _Bye!"_

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Huh?

Why the sudden interest in her gaming skills? Chizuru stuffed her phone back into her pocket and just shrugged off the oddity. No point straining her brain over it now. Ayame-chan would explain that weird conversation tonight anyway. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and rested her back against the shop window. Phew, she was quicker to tire in the cold. Must be her body protesting the expending of extra energy when all it wanted to do was hibernate and preserve everything she had. Loud guffawing stole her attention and she looked to her right. It was a herd of boys. About four of them.

Chizuru scowled.

She'd seen them around before. They passed by from time to time when she glimpsed out the shop window. She'd never actually seen them properly up close because she was always inside fixing up the bookshelves and using Terunori as her helper. If he was going to hang with her, he might as well be useful. Lately he'd been complaining because of his stitches but they'll be taken out soon. Those boys looked like bad news and she wasn't in a hurry to find out exactly why. They were tall and rather bulky and it wasn't just because of the thick jackets they donned. They had mean and arrogant eyes as they threw slang after slang at each other, showing off as much 'street cred' as possible.

They were delinquents. The real deal.

' _I've better get a move on'_

Chizuru pushed off the wall and took up the broom again. She kept her head down and continued to sweep the last vestages of Autumn at the shop doorstep, minding her own business and shrinking herself back as much as possible. She hoped the underbelly-gang just walked on by and payed no attention to her. The last thing she needed was trouble on her shift. Call her judgemental but one never knew what would happen, so it was best to be on edge. She could feel them getting closer and closer as their footsteps crunching on the leaves grew louder, and their laughter grew more boisterous. Chizuru scowled some more and decided that was enough sweeping for today and if Kojima-san had a problem with her not getting rid of all the leaves, then he'll just have to deal with it.

Four shadows fell over her.

"Hey cutie, watcha doin'?"

Chizuru stiffened up. Oh for fuck's sake. What had she done wrong in her past life to get this kind of shit? She gulped and threw back her shoulder and turned around, throwing them a glare. She resisted the urge to cringe as four huge faces were pressing closer to her smaller self. All four boys had beady little eyes swimming among the whites. Their hair was bleached and coloured badly as if they did a home-job with the cheap stuff. They had various piercings around their faces, the eyebrows, lips, ears, nose. Everywhere that one could pierce! She'd never felt to short in her life besides standing next to Kuchiyose-kun. Ugh… these bozos were ugly as fuck.

"I'm working" she deadpanned.

"When are ya finished? We can all hang out to play. Whaddaya say?" the taller one said with a disgusting grin. He looked to her flankers and they chortled along with him like sheep. Was he seriously expecting her to say yes? He was ugly _and_ stupid.

"No thanks. You're not my type" said Chizuru sternly.

She picked up her broom again and placed her hand on the doorknob to twist and go back inside.

BAM!

"Huh…?!"

A large flat hand just narrowly missed her ear and was pressed tightly against the door jamb of the entrance, making the wood tremble and creak. _What the actual fuck!?_ Chizuru gasped and stumbled back. Her broom stick slipped out of her grip and clattered to the ground. A shot of fear raced up her spine and she quickly spun around, wanting the boys to be where she could see them in case they tried any other funny business. She became hyperaware of the hand next to her head again and inched to the side away from it. The delinquents sneered at her as they hunched forward, totally blocking out her view of the street. The one with the fat hand pressed on the door behind her flashed his teeth.

"Now don't be like that. We're a lot of fun to be with, right boys?"

The other three gorillas grunted in agreement.

She couldn't stand people who didn't know how to take a hint and it showed. Chizuru's irritation started to slip through the jail bars. She was doing such a great job reigning in her temper all week and it was such a shame she was going to break her record. Her irritation and annoyance was fast turning into anger. The short girl braced her legs hard against the pavement and anchored herself. She breathed through her nostrils and exhaled through her mouth. She narrowed her eyes and bunched up the muscles in her shoulders. She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes.

"I said no. _So fuck off!"_

Chizuru threw her arms out and pushed the idiot as hard as she could in the chest.

"Hmm?"

"H-Huh?"

She… didn't… feel any give. Her hands were still flat against his wall of a chest. Instead her feet had slid right back against the instep of the door. She creaked open an eye and oh _Kami-sama_ … she was genuinely scared to fully open her eyes and confirm her thoughts. She did anyway.

Yep. He didn't move a milimetre.

"Oh shit"

"You bet"

"AH!"

He grabbed her arms before she could retract them and he gripped them tightly. Chizuru pulsed with desperate fear and she cursed her stupidity! What the fuck was she thinking trying to _physically_ send the delinquents on their way. This wasn't the same as getting into fights with the Queen Bitch of Karakura High and her clique! He pulled her towards her and laughed. She turned her face away from his repulsive and sneering one, the heat of his breath made her feel so dirty and gross.

"L-Let me go this instance!" she shouted in his face.

"I don't think so, cutie. You're gonna pay back for that!" he growled at her.

The other three hooted and cheered at their grotesque leader.

 ** _THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!_**

"OW!"

She felt the grip on her arm loosen and Chizuru wretched her arm free and she stumbled back. She had to move quickly while they were down for the count! She fumbled for the doorknob behind her and twisted it as hard as she cold and pushed it open with her shoulder. Chizuru threw one last cautionary look to make sure they weren't back onto their feet and pursuing her but she was utterly floored by what she found. Each of them were rolling on their sides or fallen to their knees, clutching their head and groaning. Most shocking of all was…

"T-Terunori?!"

Terunori Kuga stood over them with a foot on their leader's rump. His head was thrown back and he had a goading grin adorning his face. His jacket fluttered behind him. He expertly twirled her broomstick in his hand before swinging it around his head and letting it rest on his shoulders. His eyes flashed giddily at her without breaking from his self-satisfied pose and it made her stomach flutter. Then he turned his attention back to the heap of groaning bodies at his feet.

"You boys messing with my girl?" he called out louder than what was necessary

" _YOUR GIRL?!"_ Chizuru shrieked. What the fuck! What the fuck! _WHAT THE FUCK!?_

"Get off me! Who the fuck are you?!"

"Me? Terunori Kuga of Tootsuki! Heir to The House of Terunori, leader of the Chinese Cuisine Research Society and soon to be Reclaimer of the Elite Ten Seats"

"They're not asking for your resume, Terunori—!"

Terunori held his hand up at her and it her voice died in her throat.

Terunori leapt off him and swung the broomstick back around. He grabbed the brush head and twisted it off, throwing it to the side. She paid for that broom herself! The brush broom was more expensive than the regular ones. How dare he break it like that?! Chizuru's fury was short-lived before she saw the stance Terunori took. She was dumbfounded. He held the broom stick in both hands horizontally and pointed at the them. He widened his legs far very apart and bent his knees until they were ninety degrees. One foot pointed straight in their direction, the other perpendicular to it. His back was straight and his eyes were piercing as he stared at them with a cocky look in his brown eyes.

"Your little girlfriend attacked me"

"Did she now? That's what happens when orcs try to take a fat she-hobbit to Isengard"

"I'M NOT FAT!"

"Hush babe, I've got this" Terunori shouted back.

' _B-BABE?!'_

"Forget the girl. We got ourselves a midget who thinks he's all that!"

"Don't call me a midget! I'll break all your teeth and shove it down your throat so far you'll need to stick a toothbrush up your arse to brush them!" the Tootsuki student roared.

Chizuru winced at his loud and obnoxious voice, which she was kind of used to by now. Big mistake in taking the mickey out of his height. Terunori was as touchy about his stature as a beauty losing her looks. The throbbing vein in his temple was highly visible and he bared his teeth at them. He was an absolute terror and she was on the receiving end of a noogie a few times because of a few stray comments about it.

"What's this? Sensitive, are we? _Runt_ " the leader jeered.

Terunori recomposed himself and breathed out, with steam coming out his nose. His eyes were molten bronze.

"Oh you fuckers are asking for it. _Alley-oop!"_

Chizuru was mesmerised. It was like watching water flowing around the boulders in a rushing rapid. Terunori was just everywhere at once. Autumn leaves swirl everywhere in a blistering tornado of bronze and reds around him as if he was the eye of his own storm. Terunori sprung forward. He swung the broom stick to-and-fro, smacking it hard across their heads, their backs, the ribs, the _knees_ even with absolute precision. They crumpled to the ground and stayed there for a few good moments, but they were a strong and a burly bunch, so they managed to get back onto their feet. The leader wiped the dirt from his cheeks and glowered at the Sichuan cuisine expert like an enraged bull. Punches and kicks were thrown and he dodged and weaved without an ounce of effort. Terunori pasted on a mocking grin and spun on one foot at a time and planting the other solidly on the pavement, before thrusting the broomstick into their guts as soon as the opportunity opened. He then dropped to the ground as he ducked a punch from another direction. He kicked his foot out swiped the one of them at the ankles, causing him to trip and fall flat on his back.

' _He's so fast'_

He threw the broomstick straight into the air and that was when Chizuru was blown away. Terunori thrusted the heel of his palm into the delinquent's chest, sending him backwards metres away into a tree! He twisted to the side and kicked his leg up high, into another's throat and he fell back clutching his neck and gasping painfully for each breath. Terunori punched the third guy in the diaphragm and he doubled over in a sharp gasp. Like a monkey, he jumped up and pushed his foot into the third delinquent's shoulder and _backflipped_ into the air. For the cherry on top, Terunori deftly caught the same fucking broomstick he threw in the air, spun around and twirled it behind his back before smacking it against the last delinquent's temple, knocking him out cold.

All that, and not a bobby pin out of place.

' _Whoah…'_

Chizuru grasped and clutched at the door. _Kami-sama_. She didn't even know where to begin. That was just… amazing as fuck.

"Scram, before I decide I wanna shove _wasabi_ and Sriracha up your noses" he murmured in a stone cold voice before kicking one in the ribs for good measure.

Chizuru watched as all four hauled themselves to their wobbly legs and scrambled over each other's bruised bodies to do exactly what Terunori commanded. They didn't even look back as they pushed passer-bys out of the way, high tailing down an alley. Chizuru could hear the distant rattling of a trash can crashing to the ground through that alley. She turned back to Terunori who was already screwing the brush part of the broom back onto the stick. Once he was happy with how he fitted it, he propped it on the shop window. He turned towards her and have a gleeful salute as if nothing just happened and he was paying is usual visits.

"Explain. Now" she muttered.

"Hmm? They were bothering you and I kicked their butts. What's to explain?" he shrugged innocently.

"You implied I was your _girlfriend"_ she sneered at him. Her face heated up from just uttering that word. She knew she was blushing like crazy and knowing that made her blush even harder.

"Oh that? Cavemen like those morons only understand one concept well. _'This is mine. Don't touch it'_. So, calling you my girlfriend is just to get them off your back. Oh relax, it's no big deal!" he patted her on the back jovially.

"It _is_ a big deal because I'm _not_ your girlfriend!" Chizuru stomped her foot at him.

Terunori tilted his head to the side and looked confused as if he genuinely didn't understand why she was so upset. Of course, he wouldn't! He was an _idiot_ whose head was always buried in cooking. All that sesame oil must've clogged up his ears and all those peppercorns must've blinded his eyes.

"Ah come on, let's get inside already. It's freezing out here!"

He was all smiles again and grabbed her hand, dragging her into the shop. The door slammed shut with a loud bang, almost knocking the bells off the top. Warmth enveloped her and she sighed in relief to be out of the cold.

"How are your stitches, did they rip out?" Chizuru asked.

"Nope, didn't use my arms for any blocks, so they're fine" he rolled up his jacket sleeves to inspect his bandages. Not a drop of blood, so he didn't tear anything which was good.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Chizuru, still standing by the door.

"China. I was trained in _Kung Fu_ for years _._ Had to be if I was going to conquer Chinese cooking" he smirked at her.

Who would've thought. He didn't look that strong, or muscly, or big. But he was so quick on his feet, using the delinquents' huge bodies against them. Each of his hits and kicks were precise and powerful as he sent them to kiss the pavement every time. He didn't give any indication about his hidden strength the past few months she's known him – oh wait… that one time he carried seven encyclopaedia volumes up the stairs to the shop attic for her… in one trip… without complaining… or breaking a sweat… Chizuru shook her head. Not the time to be remembering his useful strength.

"What does _Kung Fu_ and Chinese cooking have got to do with each other?" she asked, turning the other way to flip the _'at lunch'_ sign over to take a break from customers today.

"Discipline! Duh!" he called over his shoulder like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What if they target me for revenge now?"

Chizuru ripped the work apron from her body and threw it at Kojima-san's empty chair, already getting annoyed at his flippant behaviour. Just because those four skedaddled it didn't necessarily mean that everything was over. There was a chance they could come back. She crossed her arms over her chest as Terunori continued to dig around the shelf, shaking cicada shells onto the floor. He knew that made her mad, but he kept doing it. _Punk-ass midget._

"Not if they want another thrashing, they won't"

Terunori yawned and looked around the shop probably looking for another way to push her buttons. He noticeably kept his distance from the corner with the coffeepot. He swiped his finger along the spines of the books on the closest shelf, searching for more cicada shells.

"How do you know they won't be stupid enough to do it anyway?" Chizuru countered.

She picked up her assigned stack and started shelving like usual with a tiny hint of annoyance as she all but slammed the books into the shelf.

"Like I said, they're the _Caveman_ type. Instinct will tell them to stay away from stuff that's dangerous. You're a danger now because I hang around you. Problem solved. You don't seem very grateful for me saving you, you know?"

Terunori took the book from her hand, which she was about the shelve. Chizuru gasped in surprise and turned to bite his head off but was stopped short at his closer proximity. Just because he was only a few centimetres taller than her _because of his spikey hair,_ that didn't mean he could one up her in her personal bubble. But that didn't stop the feeling of her heart thumping in her chest. Her lips suddenly went dry at the cheeky look in his eyes as he smiled at her like a brat. His hair had been getting longer overtime and framed his full face even more. His cheeky eyes peeked out from beneath his blonde-dyed fringe and she also noticed he let one side of his hair grow longer than the other, almost like Ayame-chan's new science-friend Nakiri-san.

"W-Well" Chizuru's voice broke to her surprise and she cleared her throat to hide it quickly. That was embarrassing. _Oh shit!_ Her face was getting hot again! "Thank you… for that"

"Thank you for what~?" he sang at her.

He leaned in and placed his whole left forearm on the shelf by their heads.

"For beating them up" Chizuru took a step back.

"Beating them up for…?" He stepped even closer.

"For… I mean… _to…_ p-protect me"

It was so painful to say it. Chizuru gritted her, feeling her pride shatter and ground into dust. To have the one person who was a thorn in her side save her like that was almost too much to bear. But if he hadn't been there, then she was ultimately done for. Oh _Kami-sama_ now she felt like she owed him something and she hated that feeling. She avoided his eyes as much as possible as she trained them on three other cicada shells hanging onto an old book spine. She could feel his eyes trained on her and his breath lightly fanning her face.

He pulled away. He caressed his chin with his finger.

"Hmmm… I'm not feeling it. You still don't sound like you meant it"

Chizuru spluttered "W-What?"

"You heard me. You're gonna have to think of another way to show me your appreciation, Namikaze" he smirked at her.

' _That little—'_

"Like what? Treating you for lunch?" she said in exasperation.

"I can think of better ways"

His eyes flitted down her face temporarily before meeting back up to her eyes. He hadn't moved back from her at all and his forearm, the uninjured one, was still against the bookshelf. Chizuru's stomach did a backflip almost the same way Terunori did earlier in the fight. Her fingers trembled and she felt her knees shaking a bit. What the hell was happening to her? Since when did Terunori _get_ to her like this. He was being an arse like he normally was, so that wasn't anything new. But yet somehow the cadence in his tone, the way he stood closer to her was making her heart beat erratically and her face heat up like no tomorrow. This couldn't be happening.

"I-I uhhh… I gotta g-get something from the attic"

Chizuru shoved her books at him and he caught them with an _'oof'._ She ran as fast as she could, stumbling over her own feet and Kojima-san's discarded pizza box. She raced up the narrow staircase until she found the attic. Once she made it up the ladder, she shut the door and slumped against the wall. She pulled her knees up to her chin and just shook in silence, alone with her turbulent thoughts. What was happening to her? The more time she was spending with Terunori, it was wreaking havoc on her mind and her body. She was so much more… _aware_ of him. The way he crinkled his eyes together in mischief, the way he whined and complained about things. He patted her on the arm or shoulder, swung his arms over the back of her neck when he dragged her to eat with him. There as so much _touching_ involved! Even today, he held her hand! She started to feel highly sensitive to his warmth when he invaded her personal space, especially when he was playing around and blocking her from shelving books and blocking her sidesteps for his own amusement. Even those occasional moments he helped her out. Now that she thought about it, his stack was always twice or three times as heavy as hers and he never complained about it.

' _He's actually… strong'_

She breathed out a shaky sigh. Terunori Kuga. The only guy who could make her feel so infuriated and yet...

… she missed him when he wasn't in the shop.

"Urgh… Don't tell me I actually _like_ the guy" she muttered. The world was cruel, wasn't it?

 _Knock Knock Knock_

Chizuru startled and stared at the door.

" _I know you're just hiding in there. Open up"_

It was Terunori. Chizuru groaned. She wasn't ready to deal with this right now. She buried her head in her knees.

"Go away"

" _I'm coming in"_

"Oi! I said—"

Chizuru scrambled to her feet but it was too late. She only made it to a kneeling position before the door opened and Terunori climbed in with an annoyed look on his face. Chizuru looked away at his face, desperately ignoring how penetrating his gaze was. She fell back onto her behind and pulled her knees up again. She felt Terunori's shadow cast over her but she ignored it too. Suddenly he crouched in front of her, resting his elbows onto his knees. He was at eye level with her but she refused to meet his eyes.

"You're really shaken up by them, aren't you?" he said lowly.

It took her moment to realise he was talking about the delinquents. Pfft, them? They were nothing. Old news now. She released a mirthless laughter.

"You could say that" she lied.

"Somehow I get the feeling that once again, you're not being sincere" he said. "What is it then? 'Cause you're not the type to get freaked out by guys like that. Was it something I said?"

' _More like something you did… or always do'_

Chizuru squirmed under his gaze and refused to answer. She was getting uncomfortable now. She hoped her tight movements would make Terunori take the hint and back away from her but he didn't. She kept her eyes down and caught the sight of his shirt hanging down loosely, his collarbone and the stylish necklace he wore that dipped below. She never took notice of his skin like this, but his skin was quite peachy.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked softly, which she didn't think was possible.

He placed one hand on the wooden floor beside her knees as he inched closer, seeking her answer. Chizuru shivered as his dratted body temperature permeated her senses. She didn't have any more room to scuttle back because she was already huddled against the attic wall, so she was totally stuck where she was.

"I-I'm…" she whispered.

' _I'm afraid of how you make me feel'_

His other hand rested on her knee. Chizuru shuddered, but didn't do anything to remove it. His calloused and warm fingers were gentle, yet firm on her, making her stop shaking. But her heart continued mimic the tremendous beating of _taiko_ drums.

 _Thump. Thump._

He was almost on all fours as he crept closer towards her. She made the mistake of looking up into his eyes and she drowned in the deep brown depths. They held her as her eyes widened and she couldn't tear herself away. She was trapped. She had _always_ been trapped.

 _Thump. Thump._

The way he was just… _looking at her…_ Why was he looking at her like that? She didn't understand at all! She understood less about all this than she did about the concept of smell. He eased her knees downwards, almost too easily and she didn't resist him. She couldn't. Her feet slid beneath his body, stretching out perpendicular to herself. There was nothing to defend herself now, so she pressed her back harder against the wall.

 _Thump. Thump._

Her lips went impossible dry and she licked them. There it was again. The slight dip of his eyes down her face, the exact same time she swiped her tongue against her lower lip. This time, his burning bronze eyes stayed there. She could almost feel his unruly fringe brush against the skin of her hot cheeks. She parted her lips with shaky breaths.

 _Thump. Thump._

The Tootsuki student moved even closer until his puffs of breath caressed her lips, making her breath catch in her chest.

"I'm afraid…"she began again. That stopped his slow advancement for the moment. "I'm a-afraid of not k-knowing… what will happen… when th-things happen" she whispered.

Terunori movements were still paused. A subtle furrow settled on his eyebrows as he mulled over what she said. She wouldn't blame him for being confused. She hardly knew what she was saying herself, she was in war with her feelings, but one thing stood out from the rest and it was _fear of the unknowing._ Suddenly something in his eyes flared to life.

"Let it happen. Then you'll know"

His voice was so low it was doing a hell of a lot more electrifying things to her. Chizuru bit her lip to stop her the involuntary shudder that racked her body.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

"But what if—"

Suddenly she felt something by her hip and she lost her words. His other hand. It moved closer to her and she felt his wrist pressing against her hip as he continued to carry some of his weight on it, pressing against the floorboards. Next the hand that was resting on her knees crept up and touched the side of her face. His fingers lingered at the dip behind her earlobes, while his palm lightly cupped her cheeks, pushing her fringe from her face.

"Then you can work it out. But first you need to let it happen" he whispered back.

That's exactly what she did.

She let it happen.

Chizuru let Terunori's lips press against hers.

* * *

 **The Chizuru/Kuga ship is alive and well. Sorry Chizuru/Akira fans :( We see the more serious (and tender?) side of Kuga in this chapter. I don't normally think of him as a 'feelings' guy because he's so crass and flippant, but if it's involving an emotionally turbulent Chizuru, then perhaps he could be?**

 **Poor Ayame sprained her finger... and Whoop! You go Takumi and Ayame! Take those pamphlets! About time you learn about safe sex and STDs! Nothing to be ashamed. Sexual health is not taboo and everyone should learn about it. This is how I promote accessing sex education in fanfiction writing. Not the most creative way, but yeah.**

 **Oh Isshiki... what other tasks do you need Ayame to do now... dun dun dun...**

 **Check out the poll on my profile page and choose your favourite OC character: Ayame, Chizuru or Kuchiyose :) You can also see the results of other voters. Just a bit of fun.**

 **Thanks for reading. I'd love to know your thoughts :) Until next time, keep fresh (like the Prince of Belair!)**

 **Signing-off**

 **TripWire-dono**


	46. Everybody Learns

_Chapter 46 - Everybody Learns_

* * *

Erina was the last person left in the kitchen hall. She took her time cleaning up and waited until everybody deserted the place and she was left alone with her own thoughts. She even told Hisako to go on ahead without her.

' _I didn't throw it away. What's happening to me?'_

She curled her fingers in and out of her fist and watched them. She was unanimously voted by the class to judge and grade her peers and even _run_ the class when there was a sudden announcement from one of Father's administrators that Chef Chapelle was sacked from his position. The delivery was stone cold. The French chef had lost his job. The shock of it was so damning that she didn't even fight back against the students who had pushed her to the front of the class. _Keep calm and carry on_ she had to keep telling herself. She let the news of the long-time employee of Tootsuki who had dedicated his life to teaching them momentarily touch her soul, before wiping them away. They were in the midst of a Cold War. She had no time for sentimentality. She couldn't let people see Father got to her.

The first dish Erina had tasted was subpar. _Way below_. It had been probably worth a trip to the bin. There had been too much salt and it had been chargrilled for too long, it had been like getting kicked in the kidneys on the way to the gardens. Her first reaction had been to throw the disgusting thing back into the student's face, but her fingers had only managed to just lifting the rim of the dish...

... and then she had caught herself.

The absolute horror on the student's face, as it caved into fear and disappointment had struck her somehow. No. She had seen that sort of expression many times over and none of it had ever made a difference in her actions. She would've still thrown the dish back at them. Instead she had set the plate back down. Her eyes had trailed over the student's face. His chef's uniform had been splattered with oil, some of it managed to get onto his face. Oil burns were no laughing matter and he appeared to have had applied some _aloe_ gel onto it already. Her eyes had trailed down his form and landed on his fingers. A few of them had been taped with bright blue bandaids. When he had wrung his hands in front of him, she spotted a few light scars peppering his hands. Chef's hands. He worked hard, didn't he...

Suddenly the bitter and salty taste that had tainted her mouth from his disgusting dish transfigured into something else less sensory and tangible. The bitterness of the burnt charcoaled meat turned into the bitterness of jealousy, which swam in the student's beady eyes throughout the lesson. The saltiness of the seasoning turned into the saltiness of his tears which had escaped his wide and fearful eyes at her actions and words.

' _Since when did I start tasting people's emotions?'_

Whatever the case. It didn't feel good. It made her sick. She had pushed the dish towards him and had ordered him to fix it up to her specifications. The class had looked on in confusion as they had expected her to fling the offending dish and let the plate shatter to pieces to reinforce its inferiority to her palate. For the next few dishes she had critiqued as normal and she looked at them right in the eyes as she chewed, tasted and swallowed. All of a sudden, the dishes had become more than just flavours and textures. She felt it transcended that. She could taste fear, jealousy, scorn, exhaustion, aggression and ruthlessness in each dish. Although each dish had different flavours and textures, all of them tasted like _savagery._ The first thing she visualised was Father's _face._

She gave every dish back with her own hands.

The aftertaste was the thing that stumped her the most and it physically made her ill.

 _Pain._

In each dish, she felt _pain, sorrow, sadness, grief, torment._ She saw it in the way the students walked back to their stations. She saw it in their eyes as their eagerness for her appraisal died and went back to cook like drones, the way Father ingrained into them. Erina felt had powerless despite being the one holding the most power in the room. She had supervised them all, not letting the admin guy taking notes in the corner think otherwise. The lack of life in their motions as they _perfectly_ _julienned,_ as they _expertly_ _sautéed,_ and as they _masterfully_ _filleted_ their ingredients left her empty. Empty enough to draw in more pain as she tasted dish after dish.

Everything was painful and she hated it.

"Ah Nakiri-kun? Still here?"

Erina looked up in shock. She didn't hear the door slide. The days were getting much shorter and sun's dim red and orange glow was upon them so soon. She had to squint her eyes to see who it was and further surprised to see it was Isshiki-senpai standing by the door with a smile on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked closing the door and stepping towards her.

"Did Hisako send you?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. She is very worried about you. She said you weren't yourself today"

Ha! That was the understatement of the year. She had been constantly troubled by the uncertainty brewing in herself ever since she came back from her little runaway trip with Hisako, Alice and Kurokiba-kun. She found out that her elitism meant _nothing_ in the grand scheme of things. She found out that Father _murdered_ Mother. She found out her friend's futures were in peril. She found out that she had been _in love_ of Yukihira-kun all along just to name a few of the highlights. So no, she wasn't feeling herself today, or would never again for any other day!

"Ah Nakiri-kun… please put the knife down?"

Erina threw him a confused look as Isshiki-kun held up his hands in surrender. Chuckling nervously under his breath. She looked at her hand and was shocked to find that a stray paring knife found it's way into her tight grip. She dropped it into the sink behind her and held her hands close to her chest. Urgh. She was so messed up in the inside.

"Sorry, Isshiki-senpai. I didn't mean to do that" she muttered, drawing her violet eyes away in shame.

"No don't be sorry. You're under immense stress"

Isshiki-senpai stepped to her side and leaned against the kitchen station next to her. He folded his arms and relaxed and sighing at the same time. Erina could tell he wasn't going anyway and was just waiting for her to spill her guts as if he was her therapist. Maybe she needed a therapist afterall. She noted in her mental to-do list to ask Hisako to search for a good one. Since Isshiki-senpai was here and he looked like somebody reasonable to confide in, she might as well.

"I'm tasting emotions in people's dishes now"

"Oh?"

"I know that sounds weird and I don't really understand it myself. It's as clear as saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness and _umami_. And then the difference nuances in emotions are as variable as different flavours in the world. It's all too much and it just mixes up all over the place. I taste it in their dish and I see it in their eyes…"

"Which emotion do you taste the most?"

"Pain"

"I see"

It was like the whole school was hurting. She could feel it in her bones. Every day the brainwashed students marched to class, filled with propaganda until it was coming out their ears. The Rebel Alliance were restless against the tightening cuffs placed upon them, but they had no choice but to bide their time and play along with her Father's Administration until Isshiki-senpai executed the next step of the plan. The aurburn-haired ex-seventh seater crossed his ankles too as he dipped his head backwards, a contemplative expression graced his gentle face. Erina turned her eyes away towards the late afternoon sun. She squinted her eyes at the sting of the rays, but endevoured for she found something soothing in the bright red glow before it died out over the horizon.

"That's good"

"W-What?"

She spun around, eyes wide. Did he say what she thought he said? Erina shook her head and huffed. What made her think revealing her feelings to Isshiki-senpai was a good idea? Urgh! She really needed a bath right now or just go outside. Fresh aid and a fresh perspective should do the trick. She pushed off the kitchen station and crossed her arms under her bust. His nonchalance reminded her of a certain someone who was just as a effortlessly aggravating. She glared at Isshiki-senpai and his cryptic smile. Her plans for de-toxifying her rampant emotions evaporated at the sight of his still and relaxed form. Anger and confusion bubbled madly within her.

"W-What's so good about _pain_?!" she shouted.

"Pain is gift. Without the capacity for pain, we can't feel the hurt we inflict"

Erina startled and was slammed with incredulity. Once she got over how eerily calm he sounded, she slowly unfurled her arms and wrapped it around her middle. Rebuttal rose to her throat and then it disappeared, then she looked away sheepishly. She felt a twinge of regret for letting her emotions get the best of her. Silence descended upon them save the dripping of the tap in the large kitchen hall. The gravity of Isshiki-senpai's words sounded as soft as feathers, but when it hit her, it was a massive landslide. _Pain._ The pain she felt from the dishes stopped her from behaving so callously and cruelly, she realised. The sickening feeling, she identified with shame grew heavier in her stomach. So, that the reason why she couldn't lift the dish enough to throw it into their faces? She felt _pain_ and didn't want to cause more of it. Once upon a time, that was something she would've done without a second thought and had even relish in it, to see those faces twisted in misery, realising they would never reach her level. Thinking about it gave her no such pleasure now.

Her world turned upside down once again.

"I hate it, it's messing with how I do things, I don't u-understand most of them! And-and-and what do I _do_ with all this… this… _pain!?_ "

"Shall I tell you where to put it? You hold onto it tight"

He uncrossed his arms, took her hand into his and squeezed them.

"You let it burn you, remember it and use it. You learn to see with the eyes of another. Learn to listen with the ears of another. Learn to _feel_ with the heart of another"

Erina stared at their joined hands as if it was an alien, and then she looked up into Isshiki-senpai's warm and molten blue eyes.

"Then as a chef, you will taste _the true face_ of the dish and that's a gift worth a thousand times more than the _God's Tongue_ your Father gave you"

* * *

"I can't believe there was a lot I didn't know" yawned Ayame.

She threw the last pamphlet onto her coffee table and leaned back against Takumi-kun's shoulder. She pressed her back further and flopped her head to the side, to catch sight of his face as his brows dipped even lower. He was utterly engrossed in _'How to keep you and your partner safe'_. He had his fingers poised on his chin and his blue eyes darted left to right. Not a word or so much as a strangled gulp escaped him as Ayame made herself more comfortable at his side. Takumi-kun didn't faint while reading which genuinely surprised her. A few times he might have shuddered, blanched, jaw dropped to the floor, blinked rapidly and gagged, but he kept ploughing through every single brochure. It got a point that Ayame suggested he take a break to digest everything he read, but he had said he was okay through gritted teeth and a tight smile.

There weren't any gross pictures in the pamphlets which was helpful she guessed, but the range of STD they talked about was utterly comprehensive and daresay, the written descriptions left their imaginations bleeding and feeling a tiny bit ill.

Finally, Takumi-kun closed his pamphlet and rested it against the table. He absentmindedly lifted his hand to stroke Ayame's hair as he directed his eyes to her living room ceiling, a fixed and contemplative expression on his face mixed with incomprehensible relief.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Ayame.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why I'm an _idiota_ for not doing this sooner" he groaned.

Ayame lifted herself up in the comfy couch and got onto her knees. She pressed them into the couch cushions and Takumi-kun fell slightly towards the dip as he turned his head towards her, looking at her with mild curiosity. She steadied her hand on the back of the couch as she reached forward and brushed the lock of golden blonde hair that always fell between his eyes.

"You're not an _idiot_. At least we did. That's what's matters, right?"

His eyes widened.

" _Uno momento per favore._ How did you know what _idiota_ meant?"

"Isami-kun wrote me a list of Italian curse words for me to study" Ayame chirped.

" _Merde—_ I mean! Urgh… drat… _"_ Takumi-kun grunted.

Ayame chuckled and shook her head. Chances were, Takumi-kun wouldn't be saying _that_ or anything else like it t in front of her anymore. Watching Takumi-kun struggled to keep his Italian all innocent and pure around her was going to be _hilarious_. For about a month she knew what some of the expletives Takumi-kun muttered in meant and just kept it to herself. Hey! Italian no matter what was being said was sexy. Obviously, nobody aside from Isami-kun knew because it was only Italian! But now she did and it felt like it was their little secret. Isami-kun was more than happy to write her a comprehensive list of the most common, as well as uncommon words and phrase combinations Takumi-kun used when he was frustrated or bollocking someone. It was surprising because Ayame had now realised that Takuim-kun swore under his breath an _awful_ lot, especially in the kitchen. The whole time, she thought those Italian murmurs were just him thinking aloud about what he planned to do in the recipes. Sort of talking to himself, reciting or rehearsing things, she supposed. Who would've thought it was: _'Fuck it, that'll do'_ , and not _'In we go',_ which she had initially assumed whenever he threw his ingredients in the pot. Takumi-kun never swore in Japanese. Ayame watched as his face turned read and he coughed into his hand.

"I know that one too" she smirked at him.

He whined and turned the other way.

"Do you also know what else I know?"

She wiggled her eyebrows as she leaned in closer. She placed her other hand on his knee and lowered her face towards his, letting her nose brush against his ear. She could feel the steam puffing from them as his face just got hotter and hotter. Finally, he twisted his head towards her and Ayame was once against trapped in his ice-blue gaze. His lips lowered as he breathed steadily against her face. His eyelids hooded ever so slightly and he slid his hands up her forearm, grasping tentatively at her elbows, a hint of uncertainty shadowing his gaze. Ayame started feeling hot at the collar too and her fingers tightened over his school pants, bunching the fabric up into her fingers.

" _Vuoi parlare sporco?"_ He whispered.

She melted inside. Not fair… He was supposed to be all bashful when she was trying to be suggestive. Well, this was actually a whole lot better and Ayame was positively buzzing with excitement. As if Takumi-kun's voice could get any deeper than that! The husky cadence sent shivers up her spine and the roll of his tongue as he executed the perfect trills made her blood race. She had no idea what all those delightful words meant, but it sounded so sexy. He could be asking her what she had for breakfast this morning and she would still be a puddle at his feet, wanting and begging him some more to speak his mother tongue, preferably in her ear.

"Hmm… Yes?" she whispered back.

He chuckled and placed a swift peck on her lips.

"I'll make dinner first and we can continue later" he said.

Takumi-kun peeled himself from the couch. Ayame's hand still had a tight hold on his school pants and ended up dragging herself across the couch as he moved away, like a cat refusing to let go of the teaser toy. Takumi-kun shuffled a bit before disentangling her fingers from his clothes. He twisted around and tried to heft Ayame up himself by her elbows but she was adamant to be difficult and smiled cheekily as her boyfriend grunted under her mess of limbs. He finally tugged her upright on the couch. Ayame was about to be difficult again and flop over just to ruin all his hard work, but he beat her to it and braced his hands against the back of the couch on each side of her head and lowered his face down to her own, preventing her from being a tease. Ayame stifled a rebellious grin and pouted at him. His eyes glittered from under his fringe and his small smile did sinful things in her lower belly.

"What would you like for dinner, _amore"_

Ayame bit her lip. Takumi-kun retrieved his hand from beside her head and gently tugged her bottom lip from between her teeth with his thumb.

"Lasange"

" _Come vuoi"_

"Yes?" Ayame replied. She nipped at his thumb and gave her best smoulder, relishing in the way Takumi-kun gulped and his neck-muscles tensing and untensing before calming down again.

"I said 'As you wish'"

Meh. He could've been saying her hair was a bird's nest and she wouldn't have cared. Ayame surreptiously clamped her thighs together and twisted around, her fingers coming up to grasp his school tie. She laced her fingers in it and pulled Takumi-kun down for a full kiss. He hardly resisted and his lips molded over hers, not letting any air between them before he pulled back, torturously slow. It felt utterly perfect and it left her lips tingling. When Ayame opened her eyes, his were still closed as he just breathed against her cheeks. She felt the pressure leave behind her as he straightened himself up and raked his hand through his hair.

He gave her one last long look, his eyes not leaving her until the last second as he made his way to the kitchen.

Ayame's eyes trailed his form without blinking. She licked her puckered lips as she watched each of his movements like a hawk, from rolling his sleeves up, to brushing his fringe aside as he got to preparing. Ayame sighed long and hard, blowing a stray lock of hair from her face. She never got tired of watching his perfect behind crest into the air as he bent down to retrieve one of her stainless-steel pots from the cabinet under the sink. It was asking to be pinched. When Takumi-kun suggested they take some safe-sex pamphlets from _Kurosaki Clinic_ last week, Ayame initially thought there was something wrong. That maybe it was a hint towards something conflicting within him. It worried her a lot. Truth be told, she never thought of reading up on any of this information since… well she had those classes before… So since _never._ As it turned out Takumi-kun had a bit of a 'selective-deafness' when it came to anything related to sex so in the end, it was a mighty good idea to refresh her knowledge and to perhaps clarify some of the little bit more abstract or confusing ones she had crumpled up and tucked into the bottom drawer of her mind, never to be seen again. Ayame felt it somehow brought them closer? It was an indescribable feeling. Awkward but at the same time, it felt right.

"What do you want for _dolce_?"

"Mhhmm?"

"Dessert. We went over this one before, _mia cara_ " Takumi-kun threw her smile over his shoulder.

"I switch off when you explain it in Japanese. Japanese is boring. Italian is yum"

"That explains your drooling"

She could see him suppressing a smile over there, feigning focus and concentration.

Ayame scoffed at him and flounced back down into the couch cushions, rifling noisily through the pamphlets again. When it was just the two of them, sitting side by side, swapping pamphlets with each other and just silently reading, it was silent. Ayame admitted, she wasn't actually reading them, but was more focused on watching him read. The utter concentration and the flitter of confusion passing over his face was fascinating. Takumi-kun was certainly very into this (or forcing himself to be) and at the same time, she could tell every fibre of his body was protesting each physical turn of the page. It was upon that moment, she realised he was doing it for her! A few quick-fire questions, pokes and jabs at him was enough for him to confess why he was forcing himself to, in his own words: _'get a grip'_. It was because he felt bad about making love to her without knowing what they were supposed to prepare for. It was probably the most endearing thing she'd ever heard him say and it filled her with joy.

He was the epitome of embarrassment from the way he was shaking impreceptively and his ears were pinking like mad, but he didn't hide his face from her. His eyes remained glued to the pamphlet as he tried to feign nonchalance. So Ayame thought it was best to save his dignity and continued reading while her heart was just doing the samba in her chest to the music of her appreciation for her boyfriend. If he was putting this much effort, then so should she.

They had held hands until they finished the last pamphlet.

"Can I come into the kitchen now?" Ayame called out.

"Will you stay away from the stove?" Takumi-kun called back.

"Awww… that's no fun"

Ayame lifted her hand up and inspected her sprained finger still in its splint with a forlorn expression. It was bitch changing the bandages after showering and she often had to shower earlier so that Takumi-kun had time to help her before he went home. She couldn't type or do any sort of coding anymore! That was the most painful part! She resorted to some charming one-hand typing but it took a million years. She was at least thankful it was her left hand and not her right.

Ayame twisted back around and crossed her arms over the back of the couch, nestling her chin in her arms as she continued to watch Takumi manipulate each cooking utensil like a master.

He was continuing to evolve in her eyes. It was the small things he did that spoke to her of his growing maturity. Why did it feel like she was learning more and more about Takumi-kun every day? She was pretty sure she went over this with Isami-kun before. Was she changing too? With that last thought in mind, Ayame bounced off the couch and immediately regretted it as the soreness in her legs intensified. Her knees shook as she steadied herself. When Ayame finally was back on two feet, she scooped up the pamphlets and went upstairs to deposit them on top of her messy desk.

"I should really clean up my room"

Ayame scanned around at the rumpled bedsheets, cluttred desk, over-flowing box of motherboards and the soldering kit she forgot to pack up. She shrugged, deciding she would call Chizuru-chan to come and help her. because she was the queen of keeping things annoyingly tidy. Ayame ambled over to her desk and found it was better to tuck it between two massive textbooks, rather than leaving it lying around for the world to see. Once she was satisfied with where she put it, she pattered downstairs.

Then it hit her like a welcomed gust.

"Oh, that smells so good!"

Ayame raced towards the kitchen island and parked herself in the closest available stool. The curt chop, chop, chop of the knife hitting the chopping board was soothing to her ears and soft bubbling of the _béchamel_ sauce doing its magic under Takumi-kun's thorough supervision made her tastebuds already dance in her mouth. Ayame craned her head and saw the next pot over had some beef mince simmering away in _passata_. She was giddy and wasn't afraid to show it.

"Are you prepared, Ayame?" asked Takumi-kun.

Ayame perked up. Prepared for what? Dinner? She moved to go fetch the cutlery and plates until she stopped from the look in his downcast eyes and the nervous twitch in his eyes. Oh wait… no, he wasn't talking about dinner. The grim and taut line of his lips told her a different story. She lowered her gaze to her fingers, specifically the sprained one.

He was referring to Isshiki-senpai's _final_ plan.

"Yeah. It's now do or die" she replied.

He didn't say any more.

Here they were. On the cusp of the most delicate and most dangerous operation of all. The Rebel Alliance had been planning this for months and Isshiki-san was confident that this would work and it would work only for the _one time._ If they failed in this final step. Every. Single. Student. Who was crusading against Azami would be expelled and there was nothing, anybody could do to save them. They knew that and were prepared. Yukihira-san, Megumi-san, Alice-san, Nakiri-san, Isami-kun Polar Star Dorm and the others. They knew the consequence but they remained undeterred, refusing to compromise. Their belief in their cause was steady as the ancient mountains, as bright as the burning stars and as unyielding as the oldest faith. They would never be truly free until the school broke from its bondages. As the weeks went by, Ayame was getting more restless. It was if she couldn't wait for the day to arrive and at the same time she wished it would never come. She kept thinking over the plan. Again, and again, and it wouldn't give her a night's proper rest. Was there anything else she could do? Was there a better method? What would further maximise their chances of success? Even her pop quizzes were small fry compared to this. She never told Takumi-kun that she was allowing Tootsuki's shadow to consume and pervade her every waking thought at night, because she knew he would start panicking and crank up his fussiness.

Ayame continued to keep her thoughts quiet.

They both knew what had to be done.

 _Brrrmmm… Brrrmmm… Brrrmmm_

Ayame squinted her eyes and turned around.

" _Otou-san's_ home early today?"

"I guess so"

"I need to get the tea ready!"

" _Aspetta!_ Let me do it, your left hand is no better than your right"

Takumi-kun threw the wooden spoon back into the _passata_ and swiped his hands through the tea towel. However, Ayame had already scampered off her stool and raced around the kitchen island for the large thermos. Every afternoon after school, she would always boil water for this very moment. The moment where _Otou-san_ might come home early, in other words, the time he was _supposed_ to and not in the middle of the night, or not at all. Since her dominant hand was out of action, Takumi-kun helped himself to the daily ritual. It didn't matter if _Otou-san_ didn't come home in time, Ayame always made sure she had fresh boiling water for his tea. That was why she kept it in a large thermos. Takumi-kun beat her to it and picked out the right blend of tea. _Otou-san_ was a fan of _sencha._ He would always keep it in the highest shelf of the cabinet simply because it was easy for him to reach and he wouldn't need to bend down. It got annoying for Ayame when she wanted to make tea for him… why couldn't he keep it down at normal eye level because clearly, hewasn't the only one who drank _sencha_! But no, he had to be twice as difficult. Whenever she made a point to move it somewhere reasonable, she would find it back up on the blasted highest shelf again.

' _Insufferable man…'_

Takumi-kun had a better time reaching for it, just propping up on the tips of his toe. Ayame watched him from the side as he poured the hot water into the cup and brewed the tea. The sound of the engine cutting off and the rattling of keys quickened her breath as she bounced on the balls of her feet. Finally, when Takumi-kun was done steeping the tea, it was the exact moment _Otou-san_ noisily came through the door. She could hear the gentle clanking of his _katana_ being set gently by the _genkan_ as _Otou-san_ took his shoes off.

"Welcome home!"

" _Ah"_

Ayame quickly shooed Takumi-kun away once he was done and carefully grabbed the tea cup with her good hand and the other supporting it, being careful not to burn herself or cause further injury to her finger as she shuffled through the living room towards _Otou-san._ He looked stressed out, tired and haggard. Basically, he looked normal. He remained sitting on the _genkan_ steps as he yanked on his thin black tie. _Wash the damn thing already!_ His brows were in the permanent glower and his lips were set in a thin line as he snorted in frustration. Oops. Bad day at work, it seemed.

Ayame leaned down and presented his cup of tea. _Otou-san_ sighed and looked up at her with his cool, coal black eyes, his features softening a lot more. He took the cup from her with a nod and took a long slow sip. She watched in anticipation as his lashes fluttered shut and his whole body seemed to visibly relax now that he was home with his cup of tea.

"How's work?" asked Ayame, folding her hands behind her.

"Incredible. That new public prosecutor was a fucking waste of time _._ He's an epic fuck-up. He's so dense that light _bends_ around him. He's like that stupid coffee machine in the homicide department. From bean to cup, he fucks up"

Ayame clutched her belly as she laughed. In between his policing duties, _Otou-san_ obviously found time to brush up on his Einstein's theory of general relativity and space-time curvature, and putting his learning to good use when discussing the merits of a new member of the Ministry of Justice. So he _did_ listen to her techno-babble after all!

"Is he making dinner again?" he grunted as he sniffed the air.

"Yep!"

Even though _Otou-san_ never said Takumi-kun's name, it was a small victory that he even acknowledged his presence… and still let him in the house with her alone.

"If he's making that Italian-Japanese Frankenstein-fusion dish one more time, I'm throwing him out" he deadpanned.

"No, _Otou-san_ " Ayame groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Thank fuck"

"He's making _lasagne_ "

"Tch"

Ayame slapped him on the shoulder but he didn't budge or react which frustrated her further. _Otou-san_ wasn't the biggest fan of European food. Hegot up and dusted himself off before grabbing his _katana_ and brief case. He patted Ayame on the head and deposited the empty tea cup into her good hand, leaving her steaming and fuming at the bottom of the staircase as he trudged up.

"I have something for you" he said without looking back.

"What?"

He dangled a small plastic bag as he disappeared around the corner upstairs. Ayame was filled with giddy delight as she ran on the spot and clenched her good hands in a fist and shook them. Oh boy! Oh boy! He got her a new piece of police equipment for her to fix and tinker with! She felt like such a kid being rewarded with a brand-new toy. She didn't care and buzzed with utter excitement and joy like a sugar-high three-year-old. What's the point of being grown up if she couldn't be a little childish sometimes? She skipped back to the kitchen in time to see Takumi-kun placing the ceramic tray of lasagne in the oven. Ayame could hardly wait.

Despite his grating personality, she was so happy _Otou-san_ came home for dinner.

Takumi-kun refilled the tea cup again in between cleaning up, knowing her _Otou-san_ would appreciate another cup. She climbed back upstairs to find him in the master bedroom down the other end of the hall, but was surprised he wasn't there putting his _unwashed tie_ back into the drawer.

' _Eh? Where did he go?'_

That was when she noticed her bedroom light was on.

Ayame slowly walked over being careful not to slosh the tea over and peeked in. _Otou-san_ stood over her study table. One hand was holding the same plastic bag as before, and the other was holding…

…pamphlets…

Her stomach dropped.

He just stood there. Not moving a muscle except the tightening of his jaw. His eyes were narrowed so much that his eyebrows almost met in the middle. _Uh oh_ She shrank into the shadows, hoping, praying, _begging,_ that he hadn't noticed her. The thick silence was deafening and her wariness and nerves got the better of her. She knew what his _ki_ felt like when his hackles were raised and it often felt suffocating. This felt a bit different. The aura around her policeman, and _kendou_ master father was truly heavy, tasting of confusion and incredulity. His eyes were a blaze with fire and ice. He was _not happy._ He was always not happy with something, but this was huge and she could tell it wasn't the usual 'not happy'

Otou-san was _NOT. HAPPY._

" _What's this?"_

Ayame 'eeped'. She crept over to the door jamb and poked her head through. Otou-san's eyes were still scorching the pamphlets as if it was a tainted evidence bag. His voice was full of sharp edges and was half a growl. Ayame fumbled and placed his tea cup on the biggest space available on her bookshelf and wrung her hands relentlessly.

"Umm…" _Shit_ she was so thirsty! "Th-they're health brochures…" she said quietly.

"About having safe-sex"

"Uh… yes? It's normal to read those… E-Everyone reads them… Everyone _should_ a-actually…" she lowered her head, not willing to look at _Otou-san_ as her words kept tumbling out _._

The slight cracking of knuckles as he gripped the plastic bag tighter made her flinch. _Uh oh… Uh oh…_ how was she going to dig herself out of this one?! She wished _Okaa-san_ was here! There was only _one_ thing on _Otou-san's_ mind right now and if she couldn't find a way to explain (lie about) the pamphlets to him before he shuts his ears and draws the final touches on his own conclusions, then there was no way to reason with him! Anything could happen!

"Only when they have a damn good reason to"

She heard the rustle of the plastic bag being hung on one of the hooks she nailed to her bedroom wall. Next came the soft thudding of his feet as they took step after step towards her. She kept her eyes trained on the carpet, shivering with a cold sweat. _Otou-san's_ shadow enveloped her and the hair on her skin prickled and heightened to the point of her physically retreating on herself.

"I-It's not what you think—"

"You've been going out with him for half a year and you suddenly realise you better read these?" he placed the pamphlets back onto the table with eerie gentleness. This was like being in the eye of the storm and to Ayame, it was the worst feeling.

"…"

"You two planning to do it?"

"NO!"

"Already done it?"

"…"

Silence fell. Her lack of answer said everything _Otou-san_ needed to know. The ticking of her alarm clocked echoed loudly, much like a time bomb. It consumed her attention as she desperately tried to work her brain to find a way out of this. _Otou-san's_ presence continued to press down on her. Finally, he moved again… to place his hands on her shoulder. Ayame gulped, feeling the sting of her tears emerging. This disappointment was tangible. She slowly lifted her head, her hair had fallen across her face, the static electricity causing it to glue itself to her face. She peered through her fringe and only made it up to _Otou-san's_ clavicle, apprehension stopping her from looking at his stern face. His hand was heavy on her shoulder. Slightly uncomfortable and she tensed her muscles.

"A-Are you going to tell me to b-break up w-with Takumi-kun?"

"I should"

Ayame's head flew up and her hair went everywhere. She couldn't believe her ears and she stared at _Otou-san_ square in the eyes, hoping beyond hope find any hint of sarcasm and cruel intent. But his coal-black eyes only revealed a blank sheet of carbon steel. It pierced her as heavily as ever.

He removed his hand from her shoulder and dragged it across his face as he released a long and exhausting sigh. He closed his eyes as he let his hand sit on his face and the other brushed the opening of his trench coat from his hips and rested it upon it, just above where he would've holstered his _katana._ Ayame wanted to ask how he found out, but thought better of it. She wanted to ask why he never did anything about it as well, but once again she decided to keep silent for another time to ask. First and foremost, she had to explain her feelings for _Otou-san._ Make him understand even if nothing fruitful could come of it. She had to try. Honesty was the best policy.

"I-I love him _Otou-san._ It was just the one time! I know w-were only sixteen... I w-was on the pill anyway! We just… I. I wanted to and I-I… It felt r-right…"

Ayame dropped her head again and stared at the carpet, her words strained and crackled in its last-ditch attempt to come out clear but just died in her throat and she felt the resounding patheticalness and disappointment in herself carve into her being. Why couldn't she ever talk properly when it counted? Not even about something that was so important to her… Her fingers came together and she shifted her weight from on leg to the other. Her discomfort grew as she fought to exact the resolve to explain herself once more.

"Your _Okaa-san_ and I did not raise our daughter to be careless or thoughtless. We did not raise her to be negligent, selfish, immoral or reckless"

Ayame felt each word slice through her skin, as if he was cutting her with his own blade. Each word echoed in her ear like death and she felt dizzy from the gravity of his words sinking into herself. The tears came pouring down her cheeks and she couldn't hold it back. She hiccupped and her voice box just throttled against the upheaval that threatened to burst out into wails as the certainty of unhappiness crashed down upon her. She didn't deserve the action of wiping away her tears as she let it fall before _Otou-san._

"However"

The soft ruffle of thick fabric breached the misery cloaking her other senses as she barely registered _Otou-san_ getting down on one knee before her. She closed her eyes. She felt something warm touch her chin and gently forced her head up and something warm again brushing feather light across her lashes, the cold streaking of tears smudging away.

"We did raise you to be a strong independent woman. We raised you to take care of your priorities, _think smart_ and _be clever_. To be capable of making your own decisions and taking responsibility for your own actions. We raised you to deal with or live by the consequences you dealt for yourself. You picked out a boyfriend. You chose to sleep with him and every _fucking_ day he's making a three-course dinner for you in our kitchen. That's your problem."

She eased her eyes open and was greeted by a tenderness and a dark humour in his deep, black eyes. He knelt before her, cupping her face in his hand as his thumb continued to brush away her torrenting tears. She didn't know what to think! She heard the words, but for the life of her couldn't process them! What did he mean by that?! He couldn't be saying all that! He was barely at home! He was absorbed with work every waking moment of his life! He barely even had time for her… But the look in his eyes was so different. There was a strange and out-of-place far away gaze to them, as if there was something in her he saw and had always known she had but she never realised for herself. It confused her, she didn't know what to feel.

"Are you… are you mad at h-him?"

"I don't give a _fuck_ about him. My only concern is you and what you chose to do with yourself. He has his own parents to do all that for him"

Ayame swallowed her tears and cautiously rubbed her face into _Otou-san's_ warm hands as he caressed her flushed cheeks. She trembled as elation and over-whelming relief slowly filled her aching heart, which was torn between her boyfriend and _Otou-san._ He gently pulled her by the waist until Ayame stumbled forward and she automatically slipped her arms around his middle. She hugged him tightly. The tickling scent of his waning aftershave and gun powder filled her with so much security, which she hadn't felt for a very long time. _Otou-san_ rested his chin on her head as he smoothed his hand against her long hair. Ayame felt a fresh bout of tears coming out. What had she done in her life to deserve this man as her father! What had she done to deserve to have a wonderful and caring boyfriend as Takumi-kun? All she felt now was such gratitude and relief for the people she had in her life that were willing to support her through everything. She snuggled her nose into the collar of his trench coat. His muscles were hard against her from decades of training to be a fighter, which were now embracing her. Ayame clung to him. The man who shot his own dog because he _loved_ him so much, the man who brought home police-issued robotic components to push and fuel her _love_ for engineering. The man who sacrificed his family life to non-stop fight against the city's criminals, to keep his _loved_ ones safe.

Her Takumi-kun and her _Otou-san_ where the two greatest _loves_ of her life.

"Everyone says: grow up, get a fucking job, get married, get a fucking house, have a kid and that's it. But the truth is, life is a lot more stranger and more fucking insane than that. Definitely fucking better than what 'everyone says'. Do what makes you happy and _commit_ to it."

 _Otou-san_ peeled Ayame off of him without any effort, even when she wasn't ready to let him go yet. She was just reduced to sniffles and quivering lips. Her eyes ached and was so sensitive and puffy. She wiped the remaining tears with the heel of her palm as _Otou-san_ swiped her fringe away.

"If CIA boy is good to you, treats you right, supports you, first and for most makes you happy, then I don't have a fucking problem with him. You do the same for him. You give and you take"

"He does... he makes me _so happy_. I can't imagine being with anyone else. When I'm with him, everything feels right. I just love him so m-much" Ayame hiccupped.

 _Otou-san_ stood up. His knees released a few cracks and he was back to towering over her again, only he wasn't over-bearing and ominous. Just tall and strong in her eyes. He shed his coat and draped it over his arm as he turned towards her door.

"This is your first relationship, Ayame. You're still growing and learning and so is _he._ Might as well grow and learn together. My job is to _let_ my daughter learn. Even if she crashes and burn _"_

He picked up the tea cup from the shelf and strode out her door.

"Tell CIA boy not to go anywhere after dinner"

She watched, mesmerised as his pony-tail swayed out of her sight. She stood there, numb and frozen. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her mind was too full of thoughts, she didn't even know which one she was thinking. She had no choice but to do a memory dump and retrieve it later to reflect on. Her foot stepped forward, one after the other until she found her self walking downstairs, he feet dragging itself closer to the living room until the kitchen. Takumi was placing glad wrap over another small oven dish. Inside was something creamy and was sprinkled with cocoa dust.

"Ah I was wondering when you'd come down. I've just quickly made _tira—Eh?!_ What's wrong?!"

Takumi-kun ditched his second dish and sprinted to her side. She grabbed her and inspected her face. Ah her eyes were still swollen and bloodshot. Of course. Worry was etched into Takumi-kun's face as he blasted question after question about what was going on and if it had anything to do with her _Otou-san._ Had he done something? Had he said something? He ran his hand down her arms and rubbed them over and over, his face still marred with confusion, desperate to find out what was wrong. Ayame suddenly laughed.

"W-What's so funny?" Takumi-kun asked.

"Nothing. Everything is fine. _Otou-san_ gave me some stuff from the precinct"

"And... it made you cry?"

Ayame shook her head, silently telling him that she didn't want to talk about it right now, not when she was still feeling raw from a storm of many emotions. Takumi-kun seemed to get the message, but she knew he wasn't going to let it go from the way he kept his eyes on her. Ayame admitted that she didn't exactly give the best impression of _Otou-san_ just now. Going upstairs after him and coming back down after crying a river, so she didn't blame Takumi-kun for being suspicious.

"I'll tell you about it later" the smile came easily to her as she leaned forward and pecked him on the lips which surprised him and earned her a cute blush.

' _Vorrrp!' 'Vorrrp!' 'Vorrrp!'_

Ayame scooped up her phone from the dining table and checked her messages.

"Eh? It's from Isshiki-senpai!" she gasped.

Takumi-kun stilled his movements as he was in the middle of putting tonight's dessert into the fridge.

"What does he say?"

"He says… he's moved our plans forward... We're going to do it earlier"

"How early?"

"Tomorrow"

* * *

 **Well, didn't expect Superintendent Daddy to be like that eh? I'm thinking most of you guys were expecting he would pull his sword on Takumi and threaten to cut all his fingers off or something? :P (or maybe actually attempt to do it and make it look like a cooking accident...) Once again, there is more to Ayame's father than meets the eye. Perhaps he had another story behind his reason to say all those things to Ayame?**

 **Erina and Isshiki had a PLATONIC moment here. Isshiki imparts from of his wisdom as a _senpai_ and Erina is continuing to grow and change and I was rather happy for her :) Her God's Tongue gets an upgrade too! Yay!**

 **Next chapter is the final chapter before the epilogue and author's note! I'm both excited and sad that the story is finally coming to a close... I'm going to cry with both sadness and happiness. My emotions are malfunctioning now...**

 **Until next time! Stay warm and dry (for those in the southern hemisphere) and keep fresh and cool (for those in the northern hemisphere)! let me know what you think, I love to hear from all of you :)**

 **Signing off**

 **-TripWire-dono**


	47. The Denouement

_Chapter 47 - The Denouement_

* * *

"Urgghhhh…"

"What's wrong with _you?_ "

Isami looked up from his notebook and into Yukihira-kun's curious orbs, which was trained on the person next to him. The broken whine from his right side, muffled by sleeves, made his stomach bubble with traitorous chuckles. That did not go amiss from _Fratello_ who shot him a dangerous glare before burying his head back into arms, adamant to hide from the Japanese diner chef's insistent prodding gaze.

"I don't want to talk about it…"

" _Fratello_ had a very exciting night" offered Isami.

"ISAMI! _Ow…_ "

Takumi clutched at his side and doubled over.

"Couldn't keep it your pants, huh" a knowing smirk worked its way onto Yukihira-kun's face.

" _Not like that"_ Takumi groaned before shooting up in a spasm and collapsing against the back rest of the theatre benches.

Isami slowly put his books and pencil case away while Yukihira-kun inched closer to _Fratello_ with his trademark mischievous smile just egging his twin on to explode and tell-all. But It was just as Takumi said. He and Ayame-chan had done nothing along the lines of what Yukihira-kun was thinking last night. In fact, _Fratello_ returned home late in the night with a completely different story to tell. Isami just thought it would be fun to throw a bone at his elder brother's expense. It was harmless, he thought but the rising temperatures on _Fratello's_ cheek at the audacity of Isami's abrupt and unwanted insinuation only made Yukhira-kun's suspicions take stronger root.

"Shall I?" asked Isami, grinning at the two, pretending to be oblivious to Takumi's annoyance with the whole ordeal.

" _Non_. You'll just feed the _bastardo_ lies"

"Hurry up and tell me" Yukihira-kun declared.

" _Fratello_ has graciously accepted the offer to train in _kendou_ from Ayame-chan's _Pappa!_ " said Isami gleefully.

Their red-headed classmate paused. "Like what? Wear this uniform, stand over there and let me demonstrate how I _beat you_ with my stick?" Isami honestly couldn't tell if Yukihira-kun was mocking Takumi, or he was being dead-serious.

Takumi huffed in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. The action alone made him wince. Clearly his first lesson had costed him the relaxed use of his body. The stiff gait and tensed muscles as he walked out of their apartment this morning was truly pitiful. However the text messages this morning from Ayame-chan gushing with apologies, promises of retribution against her _Pappa_ and asking Takumi for his well-being was beyond touching. Isami really did feel for him. If he came back after a harsh first lesson _after dinner_ in _kendou_ he too would be sore all over the next morning. The Superintendent General was the antonym of leniency when it came to training the mind and body, it seemed. He would never slack with _Fratello_.

"I believe it's called a _bokken_ " Isami contributed.

"So… wear this uniform, stand over there and let me demonstrate how I _beat you_ with my _bokken?"_

" _He didn't BEAT me with it!"_ _Fratello_ yelled back at them in defiance

"This is the Superintendant General we're talking 's okay to say it" said Isami, gently rubbing Takumi's shoulder.

Nobody was believing Takumi.

He fell back into his seat with a string of Italian expletives muttering under his angry breath. Isami could see him grow irater by the second! His hilarious expression was meant to be menacing, but he couldn't help but see him looking so adorable and embarrassed. Was _Fratello_ even aware of Ayame-chan and himself finding him irresistibly funny and cute when he was all agitated and huffy? Yukihira-kun perched on the side of _Fratello's_ desk looking very excited and hungry for more details. It came to Isami's attention that Yukihira was interested in anything and everything to do with Ayame-chan and her friends. His fascination with Kuchiyose-kun's athletic physique (Isami had to add 'get abs' to his bucket list), Ayame-chan's scientific knowledge and Namikaze-chan's gaming skills were what he sought to learn more about after bouts of _shokugekis_ and classes. Whether it be trying to tail the brother's home, asking for contact details and organising group-outings and the such, Yukihira-kun was determined. Takumi leaned forward with stiff muscles, as if he would snap into two brittle pieces should he exerted himself anymore and made a pathetic attempted to shove Yukihira-kun off his desk. The red-head merely swatted his hands away without a bat of his lashes, and not even empathetic towards his brother's plight.

"But _why…?"_

Yukhira-kun leaned towards Takumi without care for personal space. Takumi scooted back and focused his eyes on anywhere except the two shining golden eyes goading him for an answer. If Isami didn't know any better, Yukihira-kun was most likely asking why Takumi would let another man beat him with a stick, rather than asking him why he was taking _kendou_ lesson's from Ayame-chan's _Pappa._

"H-He said no daughter of his will have a boyfriend who doesn't know how to defend and protect" Takumi muttered very quickly, hoping to be done with this. However, one look at Yukihira-kun's widening eyes and gaping mouth meant it was hardly over.

"Ouch… you agreed to this?"

"Well, _si!_ If I want his approval, I have to endure everything he throws at me!" Takumi yelled back.

"Even if he just wants to _beat you_ with his stick? What about Kanda-chan? What was her say in all this?"

"She was busy jumping on her father's back and biting his head to really say anything… then she was video calling her mother, who's in _Dubai_ for business, to get her to tell him off" Takumi sighed.

"Didn't work huh"

" _Non…"_ Takumi deflated.

Yukihira-kun leaned back, finally giving _Fratello_ some reprieve and crossed his arms. A thoughtful expression crossed over his face. Suddenly, he beamed and snapped his fingers with the proverbial lightbulb blasting its incandescence above his head.

"That settles it! I don't think he wants to train you. I think he just wants to _beat you_ with—"

"Stop saying that, Yukihira!"

"It's not about the _beating,_ Aldini-kun. It's about sending a message. Right Ryou-kun?"

" _Ousu"_

Isami swivelled his head at the sound of Alice-san's chiming voice. She had a spring in her step which somehow was partially masked by how her hips swayed as she commanded the attention in the room by her entrance. Excitement buzzed around her as she saluted to the three of them. She wasn't out done in the least by Kurokiba-kun's ever-vigilant guard whose aura flared in warning to anyone who even looked upon his mistress's way. It was wonder that he could do this while looking sleep-deprived. Alice-san was dressed as usual in her immaculate school uniform. Not a loose thread or a speck of lint to be seen. She sauntered towards the three boys with her chin held high while Kurokiba-kun skulked closely behind with both their book-bags dangling in his grip from over his shoulder. Alice regarded them coolly with a swift nod and a shining smile. She fixed her strong ruby-red gaze on _Fratello_ in mirth. She sighed and patted him on the shoulder, none to gently.

"What are you talking about?" Takumi blinked up at her in confusion.

"About your _beating_ last night"

"Not you too!" Takumi looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.

"Ayame-chan and I are _real_ tight. She tells me everything"

"No, she doesn't. You just bribe her with research articles" said Takumi.

She slapped her dainty finger tips onto her chin and giggled from the base of her throat. For the final touch, she threw her head back in obvious melodrama and her silvery tresses swayed with her cheeky presence. Isami watched, loving how this was playing out as she then crossed her two fingers tightly together to exhibit to everyone her close bond to _Fratello's_ girlfriend. She winked at Takumi who grumbled back. Isami didn't know Ayame-chan and Nakiri Alice had become _that_ close. Did he miss something? Well, since they were both girls and into science, he guessed it was bound to happen. These sorts of people always ended up meeting each other, didn't they? He wondered what Namikaze-chan thought about their burgeoning friendship.

"So… what message would that be, Alice-san?" asked Isami.

"That Takumi Aldini needs to step up his game if he wants to continue to be worthy of Ayame-chan" She chirped. She settled right beside Yukihira-kun's seat on Takumi's desk which was over-crowding, but that didn't deter the two who were comfortable side by side, wiggling their brows at _Fratello's_ reddening countenance.

"Takumi's already making her dinner almost every night, how much worthier could he be?" asked Yukihira-kun.

" _Learn to fight. Like a real man"_

Isami's spine tingled with mixed apprehension as Kurokiba-kun's famous raspy and monotone voice broke the atmosphere and it halted _Fratello's_ snappish remarks and Yukihira-kun's and Alice-san's taunts. He slumped into the seat on the other side of the aisle with a clear birth from everyone. He leaned back and swung his legs onto the writing bench, crossed them as if it was his throne and folded his arms behind his head. Unlike Alice-san, his uniform was thrown on. It was unbuttoned at the top revealing his black undershirt, his shirt wasn't tucked into his pants and his uniform wasn't even ironed. It was a wonder Alice-san allowed him as her aide to walk around so shabbily. The silver-haired Nakiri basically treated him as a servant rather than an aide, and made him serve her hand and foot. Isami guessed where were some things that perhaps even Alice-san had no control over when it came to Kurokiba-kun. The arrogance on his face as he spoke of the masculine responsibility of fighting was borderline feral. His eyes darted to _Fratello_ which flickered with the savageness belying his outer personality.

"Wrong message, Ryou-kun. Protect, not fight. Huge difference" Alice-san sighed and shook her head before resuming her focus onto Takumi.

"Does Ayame-chan really need protection to that extent? I get that her _Pappa_ might have some people out to get him, but it's not like we're living in Feudal Japan" said Isami.

" _Non_ ,but I don't have a problem learning _kendou._ It's just her father sprang it on me _literally_ with no warning. He threw me the _kendou_ stick and basically shoved me into the backyard and started attacking me. He could've at least tell me what to do _before_ he started wielding that thing at me rather than tell me what to do _while_ attacking. But I think he's onto something. It would be good for me to learn to fight for Ayame and protect her. I'd never know when I need it"

"Urgh! Who said it's for _you_ to protect _Ayame-chan?_ I know she could _beat you_ and everyone else with her father's _kendou_ stick if you or they're out of line!"

"… _Bokken…_ It's called a _bokken"_ Isami sighed.

The brunette Italian's comment went ignored as Alice-san crossed her arms under her bust and scoffed at Takumi-kun who gaped at her like a stunned mullet. She glared at him through her lashes and down her aristocratic nose as if he was an ant beneath her shoes. She made her displeasure of Takumi's unwitting audacity to suggest Ayame-chan was a weak little girl who needed a man to depend on, known to everyone. Isami nervously smiled and backed away, hoping Alice-san didn't think he shared in any of that mentality as he left his beloved _Fratello_ to the wolves. Meanwhile Yukihira slapped his knees and howled with laughter, causing his _Fratello_ to shake in fury and mortification for being caught out saying something that was innocent and well-meaning but construed totally by the Danish Nakiri. The whole bench rattled and Isami had to lurch forward to catch his books and pencil cases before it met their makers on top of the other students' heads sitting in the benches below.

"Haha! You can use all your _kendou_ training to protect yourself _from_ Kanda-chan…!" Yukihira gasped once he finished pulling himself together.

"Why the _diavolo_ would I do something like that?!" Takumi sneered back.

"Weren't you listening, Aldini-kun? Ayame-chan can _beat you_ with her father's _Kendou_ stick if she so chooses. Count yourself blessed her _Foder_ is giving you the skill to protect yourself"

"That's beside the point. Her father said I should learn to protect and defend and it's _not_ for that"

"Nah, mate. We settled that he just wants to _beat you—"_

"You say that ONE. MORE. TIME and—"

"CLASS!"

Isami was in the middle of jumping out of his seat to catch Takumi-kun in mid-strangle before he froze at the booming voice at the front of the lecture theatre. A tall and thin man dressed in all black and shades stood at attention with a clipboard in his leather gloved hand. His face was morose and grim as he stared at the students, daring anyone to make a noise in his presence. Alice-san slid like a cat off the bench and cocked her hips to the side, a displeased frown settled on her delicate features. Isami swore, he could hear Kurokiba-kun growled low in his throat at the intruder to the classroom. Takumi slackened his fingers from Yukihira-kun's throat, enough for the red-head to clamber off the bench. The air brewed with a mixture of tension and utter obedience as one of Nakiri Azami's many watch-dogs clear his throat and flipped the page on the clipboard.

"The following students are removed from this first period class and designated to another classroom. Yukihira Souma. Go to class 5-D. Nakiri Alice and Kurokiba Ryou. Go to class 5-F"

Electricity shot through Isami.

' _Oh no, not again'_

Isami watched Yukihira bunch up his muscles with aggravation shining through his eyes of molten gold. He rooted himself to the steps in the middle of the aisle and crossed his arms over his chest, letting his white sash snap in the air as if it was a manifestation of his anger at the mad clad in black who had the balls to utter those words in front of the class.

"What gives. This is the third time you're changing our classes around. What's going on"

"The school resources is being audited and it is Director Nakiri's will. Get going, Rebel scum"

"No. Give us the real reason" he said defiantly, unfolding one of his arms for and held it up waiting for an answer

"Director Nakiri doesn't need to explain himself. Go or you will be escorted out"

The coward snapped his fingers and three other men emerged from the class entrance. Looking exactly like one another, only with ear pieces. They were bulkier and taller promising unyielding force if needed. So far Tootsuki's board had approved the Director's method of using physical force on students who were defiant in his authority. Isami could see the gears grinding in Yukihira-kun's head. Would he take on the extra security with the risk of getting physically hurt? Or would he just bend to them? It was a tough choice.

' _This is so wrong. Cornering us with the threat of physical violence'_

The students around them openly smirked a they twisted in their seat towards Yukihira-kun, Kurokiba-kun, Alice-san, Takumi and himself. The animosity and smug looks of victory directed at him made his skin crawl and honestly a bit scared. He hadn't felt this way since he was in PE class back in _Italia_ where he wasn't exactly the fittest of the boys in his class and was subjected to teasing. Isami gulped down his anxiety as he watched Yukihira grab his bag and swung it over his shoulders. He steeled his eyes soley on the expressionless man and stomped down the stairs, creating loud reverberations coating in anger as he made his way down. The other students, devout followers of by Director Nakiri religious dogma jeered at him, mutters of "traitors", "losers" and "Rebel scum" danced on their tongue. Isami clenched his fists on his lap as fury warred within him. He wasn't quick to anger, but when he was, he wasn't going to let anyone get away with it. He looked to his _Fratello_ who was gripping the edge of the bench pretty hard as well. Next, Alice-san sighed and grabbed the bag offered by Kurokiba-kun who huffed down the steps with dramatic stomping. She closed her eyes and lifted her chin high, as if blocking the other students mocking mutters like a true queen walking amongst her back-stabbing subjects. Kurokiba-kun hissed at anyone who even looked at him. The last thing he saw was the _Cerberus of Tootsuki_ flipping the bird at the men before following his mistress out.

"He's trying to break up our communications" whispered _Fratello_ in _Italiano_.

"He definitely knows we are up to something"

News had gotten to the twins that Isshiki-senpai was removed from Polar Star dormitory and was placed into the main school building dorms. _They actually removed him!_ It felt almost surreal. There was the sinking suspicion that Director Azami wanted to cut off their head of the alliance to disrupt any further planning to injure the current administration. The good-natured and kind-hearted _senpai_ was practically their brain for their planning, and because of this, it kind of worked too. Takumi and Isami grew anxious of whether anything else was needed from him to pass along to Ayame-chan. What if something cropped up and they needed to switch tactics immediately? What if they couldn't deliver on time? It would ruin their plan! They only had one shot at this. They didn't want Ayame-chan or Kuchiyose-kun to be any more involved than they had to! Isshiki-senpai was hardly in any contact with the rest of them now and Isami suspected Central was trying to keep him as busy and distracted as posisble. They couldn't get a hold of him on the phones either.

' _How do you successfully wage war against the enemy... You cut of their water, you cut of their supply, and you cut off their COMMUNICATION'_

Communication was their key and the Director had successfully seized it.

Their educator floated into the classroom once all four of Director Azami's men returned to their post, and began instructing everyone to take out their books.

"We're just going to have to assume everything we planned is final. There is no turning back tonight" murmured Isami.

With that, the two brothers took out their books and kept their heads down.

Their hearts beated like African war drums.

 _ **Tonight**_

* * *

"Oh! Erina!"

Alice skipped over to her cousin who had just finished up with a dreary conversation with an administration officer. She waved off the woman in the tight pencil skirt before deigning her attention onto Alice. She widened her eyes in surprise.

"Alice… what are you doing in this class?"

"We got kicked out of ours. Uncle is just screwing with us with musical chairs again" she replied.

Her annoyance towards her Uncle Azami's cunning bubbled through her veins. Despite her calm and collected face she showed to the world, she was on edge and she felt the fine hairs on her skin sizzle with static electricity for what was to come. Isshiki-senpai still hadn't completed the last teensy-tiny bit of his plan before they were going to execute it tonight. Hurry up! Because if he couldn't pull through for the last little detail due to whatever cockamamy sabotage the Administration assaulted them with, then her side and part of Ayame-chan's side was a no-go. Alice smiled and took Erina's hand, ready to pull them both into the class.

"Alice, I'm not class 5-F anymore… I'm in 5-A now" she said, tugging her hand back.

"Wh-What?! You too Erina? Even Uncle Azami thinks us cousin shouldn't be together?"

Alice grunted. She snatched Erina's hand back, disgusted with the whole thing and not willing to relinquish her cousin so soon. This farce had to end! She felt Erina squeeze her hand back and her lips formed a thin line. Alice peered into Erina's watering violet eyes. Frustrating and uncertainty brimming in their depths. Alice tutted. Erina couldn't be thinking of backing out now. She was instrumental in the end and Isshiki-senpai was counting on her to be brave.

Scratch that.

 _Everyone was counting on Erina to be the bravest out of all of them._

 _Schwing!_

Her funky ring tone captured her attention. Alice held out her hand behind her and felt the cold and smooth over of her smart phone plopping onto her palm, courtesy of Ryou-kun's diligence as her aide.

"Hm? Ah. It's from Isshiki-senpai" Alice cooed a she swiped her phone to read from her personal email. There was no subject line or message, only an attachment to it. She opened it and quickly read through until the end and then she smiled a wicked one. "Ah here we go. This is what I need" Alice muttered and she quickly typed her thankful reply overlayed with her reassurance.

"Wh-what is it?" asked Erina.

"The answer to cornering dear Uncle. I'll be passing it on to Ayame-chan because she needs it more than I do"

Alice waved her phone in front of Erina's face. She watched as her eyes widened in surprise and then confusion as she tried to mull over what her statement meant. Alice reached out again and squeezed Erina's soft and calloused hand harder, causing her dear cousin to look up sharply. She held her gaze, refusing to budge. She silently demanded Erina to buck up because the school's future was riding on this…

 _ **Tonight**_

* * *

Satoshi sat beneath the old elm tree carefully scanning the sheet of paper stuck inside his school diary. The list of times and designated areas which had been tabulated imprinted themselves in his mind. It was the roster of security posted around the Tootsuki Administration building. He mulled over his plan over and over in his mind. He was sure it would work. It was all in the timing and here he had the times of all the security guards for their target spot.

' _At least he pulled through on his end of the deal'_

How fortunate for Satoshi that he had a spy on the inside. Somebody he held at arm's length. Not quite trusting, but not distrusting either. They delivered and that was enough of Satoshi. They took the measurements, information and smuggled it to him. They ran with Central, continuing play their part in enforcing the new piece of Central legislation. There was like, a new one each week. Each as ridiculous as the next.

He leaned his auburn head back and raised one knee up to rest his wrist. He fiddled with the edge of paper, being carefully not to get a paper cut while he reflected what had happened and also what had yet come to pass. It had been difficulty not being around his _kouhai_ the last few weeks. Thankfully he could tell them everything he wanted to them and Ayame-chan before he was suddenly notified that he would no longer be staying to Polar Star Dormitory. It had hit him hard, but he refused to show that to his dear _kohais_ or to Director Azami's men. He accepted their decision with no fuss, however his dear friends kicked up a storm. He had to quickly silence them and assured them that everything was going to be fine. The last thing he wanted was morality to drop just because he wasn't going to physically be there with him anymore. Satoshi thought his message came across well because the burning hatred and determination in his _kouhais_ eyes promised that they wouldn't be defeated. Cut of one head and another shall take its place. Yukihira Souma became the next undisputed pillar of support, but it wasn't as if Director Azami was going to really see him as a threat to the administration body. Yes, Souma-kun's cooking prowess was a force to be reckoned with and he was instrumental in Satoshi gaining new resources, arsenal and information from all their _shokugekis._ But when it came to strategy and tactics, that was where Satoshi reigned. He guessed that automatically made him the leader of the Rebel Alliance.

' _This will work. It has to work'_

The solution to all their problems birthed from his mind was… unlike anything he had ever thought of before. But it had elements to it that made sense. Despite it being risky, far-fetched and plain unbelievable, the craziness was worth a solid attempt. Souma-kun was the first to respond in agreement as Satoshi knew he would, because craziness was Souma-kun's style. The ex-seventh seater learnt from his example that 'playing safe' never won in the long-term. One had to come in with gun's blazing to get things done. Therefore, he took a leaf out of Souma-kun's book. If his other Polar Star _kohais_ thought this was taking the cake, and Souma-kun was all for it, then it would work. It was as simple as that. It was only a matter of time until Nakiri Azami got around to expelling the Rebel Alliance since he had all the power to do so without qualms from the school board, so they literally had nothing to lose. Now it was the waiting game.

It was only midday and yet it felt like the final stage of his plan was just around the corner. He rehearsed this many times in his head and it was a pity he couldn't do so with his _kouhais._ He hoped everyone was ready. Especially Nakiri Erina and Kanda-san.

Satoshi snapped a picture of the roster with his phone and emailed it to Alice-san. He used his personal email instead as he knew the school would be monitoring school emails, especially his. Folded the piece of paper away and tucked it back into his school diary. As soon as the message was sent, he deleted the photo. He trusted Alice-san would know what to do with it and he had faith in everybody else.

 _King Kong Kang!_

The bell for next period started and Satoshi wasn't keen on going. The classes to him were useless as he would be expected produce dish after homogenous dish with inane repetition that would mask his true skill as an ingenious chef, all for the sake of conforming to 'supreme gourmet food' as dictated by Nakiri Azami. The isolation he felt from being separated from his usual classes and his _kouhais_ made him despondent, however he would endure it. Until tonight anyway.

Satoshi picked himself up and dusted the stray leaves and grass from his pants. He watched in the distance as students marched in straight lines back into the school buildings with educators following suit.

 _Ding!_

He hummed in delight and read the email on his phone.

* * *

 _From: Nakiri. A  
_ _To: Satoshi. I  
_ _Subject RE: (no subject)_

 _1 Attachment_

 _Thanks! I'll pass it onto Ayame-chan :)_

 _-A_

* * *

He deleted it after reading.

He deleted it again from the deleted folder.

He smiled brightly. Yep, he trusted his _kouhais_ to act without further instruction from him. After all, they were all highly capable. It seemed Kanda-san also didn't mind taking and extra role, which was fortunate, he guessed. Satoshi packed up his empty lunch box and made his way serenely after the rest of the students as they all filed into the pristine corridors. He sensed on the edge of his periphery watchful eyes hidden in the shadows, as well as the surveillance cameras. He was almost flattered that the administration was keeping such a close eye on him. It was annoying, but he found a way to work around them. Nakiri Azami's awareness of something significant was going on must have been growing for weeks. That was entirely the reason why he decided they had to act fast and after _today,_ before the Director dipped further into his resources to stop them. All Satoshi had to do was play nice and the administration couldn't touch him. His family was one of the biggest donors to the school, and without them, Tootsuki Academy wouldn't be as well facilitated as they were now.

Satoshi quickly changed into his chef's uniform in the assigned change room, tucking everything neatly into his locker. When he was done, and straightened his uniform, he merged with other students into Kitchen thirty-six. He stood at attention with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for the chef to hand them their class assignment for the day.

"Students! In this class, we will be re-creating _consommé_. Even some of the most experienced chefs cannot master the complex clarification process required to make _consommé_. However, with Director Azami's instruction. You will learn how to do this correctly and perfectly every time. The recipe is on the board. Follow it to the letter. I will be around to make sure nobody strays from it"

Satoshi read every line on the whiteboard and resisted the urge to snort at the precise instructions. He could think of a hundred and ten ways he would change the recipe to suit his own methods, as well as his _kohais'_ specialties.

"You will be graded at the end of the class and it will add to your overall mark at the end of the semester. Take caution otherwise there will be consequences"

Satoshi felt that last remark was directed to him. He let the smile bloom on his face while he stared straight at the class chef. It was strange they students all around the classroom, whether they were supporting the director or not were about to have their futures changed for good in only a few hours. He suddenly felt the air change around him. By the commanding hands of the chef which sliced through the air for the students to begin, Satoshi caught one last gaze out the window.

The sun was shining bright in the sky, but the clouds were moving quickly.

"I think there is an oncoming storm" he commented to nobody in particular

 _ **Tonight**_

* * *

"Chizuru-chan, it would be so much easier if you gave Alice-san your email address. That way, we wouldn't have to start off all this chain-mail" said Ayame.

The locker beside hers banged noisily as Chizuru-chan leaned against it, slipping into her outdoor shoes. Ayame closed hers gently and then slipped her book bag over her shoulder. She watched as her best friend's face screwed up in non-commital thought before shrugging her small shoulders. Ayame noticed that had been happening a lot lately. Chizuru-chan was spacing out more often which affected her participation in conversations with herself and Kuchiyose-kun. She would bet anything it was to do with Terunori-san. Out of respect for her friend she decided not to probe into it because it was now becoming a sensitive topic.

"I don't like to clutter up my address book" she replied curtly.

"I'm forwarding you the attachment from her now" said Ayame.

Ayame flipped open her phone and clicked through to her email inbox. She proceeded to click the right button and watched the little bar fill up until the symbol for a letter with wings blinked, confirming the email had be sent straight to Chizuru-chan. The loud _bleep_ from Chizuru-chan's phone sounded out amongst the chatter of her fellow students. Ayame hugged her phone to her chest and practically buzzed in her shoes. It was finally happening! Everything was going to fall into place and the Rebel Alliance will finally strike Nakiri Azami down! Ayame did a fist pump inside. The ingenuity of Isshiki-san's plan was so creative and nothing like she could ever plan herself. She felt in her bones that this would work. Everybody was counting on him and Nakiri Erina-san. She really admired the aurburn-haired upperclassman for his shrewdness, wit and sharp mind. She couldn't imagine what kind of chef he was if he utilised all his mental faculties. She and Chizuru-chan managed to squeeze from the sea of students flooding from the doors and trotted out the front gates. She peeked her shining green eyes to the side and she could also see the adventure brimming in her friend's eyes.

Once Chizuru-chan's hands were free from holding her bag close to her chest, she fished out her phone and swiped it to open the email without looking at the attachment.

"Annndd… a few words and sending it to _him_ now"

After a minute of rapid tapping on the keypad and a flourish on the last tap, her short-haired friend paused, smiled and then stuffed her phone back into her skirt pockets.

"You sure _he_ will read it before tonight falls?" asked Ayame.

"I wrote in the subject bar that it was my new strategy to defeat our opposing team on League of Legends so I'm sure _he'll_ open it. Then I explained what I really wanted _him_ to do in the actual message" Chizuru-chan grinned and stuck out her tongue.

"And you know _he'll_ agree to this?"

"He has to. He owes me for saving his team's arse. He should be damn lucky we're allies on League of Legends"

The wind picked up and Ayame pulled her coat over herself some more.

"Hah. You're actually excited to be finally involved" Ayame smirked.

"Not going to deny it. Kicking someone's butt is always satisfying" Chizuru-chan smirked back.

Ayame shook her head. She hoped Isshiki-san knew how truly lucky it was to have Chizuru-chan as part of his arsenal now. She could be horrific when she needed to be, especially with the resources and connections she had at her disposal as a prominent figure in the gaming platforms. She didn't know why she hadn't mentioned about Chizuru-chan's skill set earlier to Isshiki-san. Perhaps it was because she was so busy with other things, Takumi-kun and pop quizzes, and not to mention her best friend tended to be indifferent to the Tootsuki students' plight anyway. There was slight skip in her step and she fought from walking faster than she needed to. Takumi-kun and Isami-kun said they would meet in front of her house to help her gather all the things she needed before heading to their apartment. She had a secret dream she hadn't spoken to anyone about and this was the perfect moment to make it come true.

' _I've always wanted to create my own crisis suite!'_

 _Bleep!_

"Oh, I'm buzzing!" Chizuru-chan fished out her phone.

She showed Ayame the prompt reply from her League of Legends friend.

* * *

 _To: Namikaze. C  
_ _From:_ _Takagi. F  
_ _Subject: RE: FW: THIS TIME WE'LL GANK HIS ASS._

 _1 Attachement_

 _Dude. All you need is a van, cable ties and an alibi.  
But yeah, I'm free tonight so I'll do it.  
Send me details_

 _-F_

* * *

Ayame smiled and nodded. Yep, everything so far was in their favour. The suspense flooded her system. Oh… she was so looking forward to…

 _ **Tonight**_

* * *

Darkness cloaked the world. Night time reigned supreme.

He crouched low behind the reception desk feeling utterly cramped. He adjusted the fit-bit wrapped snuggly on his wrist and shifted in his spot but he couldn't move much if he didn't want to risk touching the person beside him more than he had to. The over-powering scent of cinnamon assaulted his nostrils. He sighed. Mi'lady wouldn't let him hear the end of it if he didn't cooperate with the school-dropout nicely.

"Oi Kurokiba. Move your arse"

"Shut your face Hayama, you're the one taking up the most room"

He felt Hayama jerk next to him, trying to release his foot from under his thighs. The sleep-deprived student chef squirmed uncomfortably, silently demanding the stupid receptionist to hurry up and turn out the lights because his legs were starting to fall asleep too.

The two powerhouse chefs growled at one another, shooting electrifying glares between them in the cramped space under the desk, each trying to dominate the most room. Things had been going fine when they snuck into the administration building after working hours. It was easy because the roster Mi'lady supplied told them when and where the security was switching up, which allowed them a few minutes to duck-and-roll into the security camera blind spots while they left, which were also helpfully outlined in the map on the second page of the roster. Shit was about to hit the fan when one of the stupid ladies scurried back into the office because she forgot her coat. So, the dick-head had pulled him under without a moment to lose.

Ryou itched to untie his bandana and wound it around his head so he could have an excuse to bite Hayama's head off. Instead he concentrated on his surroundings not captured by his sharp vision. His keen hearing could still detect the soft shuffling of the receptionist as she put on her coat. He could hear her huddling up with her fellow female colleagues waiting for her, bemoaning about the cold weather as they always do. The loud and shrill beeps of the alarm being set pierced the air and thin the trill from the little keypad signified that it was now armed. He didn't want to, but he listened closely to their conversation for any words they dropped that could provide a hint to Director Azami's current movements that might potentially cock-block Isshiki-senpai's plan. Finally, the door shut and the lights were extinguished and the two were blanketed in utter darkness.

"Don't fuck this up, alright? My job is on the line" warned the Bengali chef under his breath.

"Relax your balls. As long as you stay out of my way, you'll be fine" Ryou growled back, feeling his inner beast shifting without his bandana.

"Are we going yet?"

"No. The alarm is still on. We gotta wait until _they_ shut it off"

' _They'_ meaning the support team who didn't have the guts to infiltrate on the front lines. If Ryou wasn't tied to Mi'lady or was an idealist at heart, he'd turn around right now. He couldn't think of a reward high enough to make him want to skulk around the administration building in the dead of night with Hayama by his side to pave the way for Isshiki-senpai's plan. Isshiki-senpai had somehow _Shanghaied_ Hayama into this ridiculous plot. He had a feeling it didn't take much to convince him and he was operating on some sort of obligation or moral compass. Either way, he was rather glad it was Hayama and not any of the other morons who was partnered with him in this first part of the plan. Hayama and Ryou peered through the darkness towards the blinking red light between the gaps of the office tables from where they hid. It winked at them repeatedly and they waited with baited breath.

 _Red light_

 _3_

 _Red light_

 _2_

 _Red light_

 _1_

Green light.

"The alarm's disarmed. Let's get moving"

"Hn" replied Hayama.

They rolled out from their hiding spot, thankful to be stretching out their limbs and not smelling each other's clothes at such close quarters. Ryou made a mental note to throw everything into the laundry hamper. Or burn it. Whichever was easier. The two students crouched low as they swiftly moved to the next table by the door. Ryou reached out and turned the door knob, seeing that it was unlocked. He and Hayama sped out, tuning their ears and straining their eyes in the darkness. He could see the outlines of furniture highlighted by the shining moon outside. The silence was deafening save for the footsteps down the corridor as the change-over of security was still happening. He knew that their time was slowly running out and they would have to camp in the next blind spot or risk being detected. Ryou lead the way, scaling against the wall as he made it to the door which would open out into the main Administration building corridor.

"First security camera" Hayama breathed from behind him.

Ryou looked up and sought the blinking red light.

It slowly swerved from side to side, like a cautious firefly. He pressed himself closer to the plaster wall, stilling his breathing as much as possible. The camera couldn't see them from this angle, but his instincts continued to flare up violently, licking up his insides.

 _Red light_

 _3_

 _Red light_

 _2_

 _Red light_

 _1_

 _Nothing_

"First corridor security camera is disabled"

Hayama shot out from behind him and scaled along the wall in front of him. The corridor beyond them was still brightly lit, however per Mi'lady's cousin, all administrating staff member should already have clocked off. This meant the _skiderik_ Nakiri was still lurking around doing work, therefore his security was still prowling around too.

Like the one ten metres in front of him.

Hayama and Ryou simultaneously pulled something from beneath their jackets. He snapped it onto his face and strapped it tightly so that it fit snuggly and he breathed through the filter positioned in front of his mouth. Each had Mi'lady's gas mask which was donated to the cause. He peered through the Perspex towards the back of Hayama's back, who pulled out a bottle from the fanny pack strapped to his hips. They crouched and rolled silently towards a large potted plant. Ryou looked up, pleased to see the next security camera lifeless on the ceiling. The man moving back and forth in front of him was too relaxed. Big mistake. One should never let their guard down, no matter what. Another huge mistake. The security guard stopped and decided to check his phone. The trappings of technology let none escape. He could feel Hayama bristling in front of him, ready to pounce. A piece of thick cloth found its way into his other hand. He turned around and nodded quickly to Ryou. The fuck? He didn't need to be told what to do.

Ryou lunged from behind.

 _ **THUMP!**_

He wrapped his muscled arm around the man's neck and brought him down onto the carpeted floor with a muffled crash. The man gasped in surprised, but Ryou grappled his legs around his knees and flipped him onto his stomach. His inner beast growled into his gas mask and continued to roll until he was straddling the man's back. He squeezed the guards neck into the crook of his elbows until his face turned purple.

"The fuck Kurokiba! Just take him down, not kill him! I've brought chloroform for a god damn reason, you know!" Hayama hissed, panic and frantic fear lining his voice.

Ryou shot his head towards Hayama with a snarl. He had forgotten that anything tight placed over his head was enough to bring his inner beast out to the forefront. His blood-lust had rushed at him with no warning and before he knew it, he was exerting more of his strength than what Mi'lady would be happy with. The man gurgled helplessly beneath him until he fell silent. Trails of his saliva coated Ryou's elbow as he reluctantly released the man. He fell limp from his grip with a dull thud, the shaking breathing brought air, bit by bit into the man's lungs, signifying that he was merely unconscious.

"Forget it. Here's some cable ties. Tie him up and shove him in that closet over there" Hayama ordered in exasperation.

Ryou clucked his tongue, feeling feral irritation bleeding into his personality again. He grabbed the man's limbs and dug into his pockets for the cable ties. He secured them over his thick wrists and the ankles. With a might show of strength, he hauled the adult onto his shoulders and Hayama hurried over to support the other side. Hayama opened the nearest closet and they both shoved the man inside. Ryou was about to shut the door on him, but Hayama's arm shot out to stop him. He turned around ready to snap at him from behind his gas mask. The Bengali chef quickly retracted his arm to show him the security guard's phone. He promptly switched it off and threw it at his feet. Next, he yanked the ear-piece out before snatching the door from Ryou's grip and closed it himself.

Hayama twisted the outside lock.

"So, nobody wakes him up" he said. "Now, you just need to restrain them and I'll cover their mouth with— OI!"

Ryou didn't hear the rest of his inane instructions as he felt the presence of another security officer about to turn around the corner. He curled himself up and as soon as a shiny, black leather shoe emerged around the bend, Ryou sprang forward and tackled him to the ground.

"What the-?"

 _ **THUMP!**_

Ryou right hooked him across the face.

"Don't need your stupid chloroform, Hayama"

He watched in delight as the tanned chef ripped the gas-mask from his face and basically gaped at Ryou with incredulity. He could see the blood vessels pulsing on his temple and the veins in his jade-green eyes started to show itself. Hayama was clearly trying to keep himself together and not throttle Ryou on the spot for deviating from the original plan. Ha! As if Ryou listened to anyone other than his instincts. He got up and dusted himself. The security was pathetic. They were just for show. He wished the Director would actually hire _real_ security guards and not wannabes just so he had the satisfaction of having a real fight to the death!

"Hurry up. Put this guy in the other closet"

"Shut up. Don't tell me what to do" Ryou grunted.

He tied up the second man and then he too tossed him into another closet. He unsnapped the latch on his gas-mask and his wild hair fell across his eyes. He could already feel the beast being chained up inside, howling and unwilling to return to the abyss. Not for long anyway. He unlaced his firey bandana from his wrist and secured it around his head. His eyes blazed and his feral aura burst from his body feeling empowered again as the chains which futilely tried to imprison his inner beast snapped again. He howled on the inside.

"There should be two more security guards in the next corridor and that's it. The next few security cameras should be dead too and the pathway to Azami's office will be clear of any trouble for Isshiki-senpai and the Nakiri cous— Hey wait! Where are you going?!"

Fuck Azami! _The Cerberus of Tootsuki_ was out for blood!

* * *

"Make sure it gets signed by Doujima-san first thing tomorrow morning. That's all for tonight"

"Yes Director!"

Azami flashed her a friendly and warm smile as he adjusted his supple leather gloves. His secretary blushed profusely and smiled back at him shyly before scampering away to get her duties ready for tomorrow. Upon reflection of the day, he found it to be mundane. Restructuring the teaching staff was ticked off the list months ago, and so far, no problems. He had tackled the harder duties including creating and enforcing the new curriculum and the new school policies. Hardly any resistance since he had a new teaching staff anyway. Everything was running like clock-work. The well-oiled-machine known as Tootsuki was rumbling closer and closer to his realisation. Soon, his vision of the future would be reality.

Azami grinned as he thought of the next course of action. Once he finished remodelling Tootsuki to his image, the next thing was targeting the restaurants in the local district. He would design a contract to propose a 'partnership' with the restaurants in Western Tokyo first.

' _Join or die'_

The world would see the restaurants making a voluntary decision to join his empire, but really… the art of making the deal was in his favour, just like everything else and for _nobody else._ Join him and Azami would promise them prospering business, wealth, a seat with him at the pinnacle of his gourmet kingdom. They would be bestowed the honour of creating only the dishes his Central approved of. There was no greater reward for submitting themselves to his rule. If they didn't comply, then he would pressure the suppliers and manipulate the factors to sour their business. That was punishment and would be an exhibition of his vast influences and power, which he would make them wish they had on their side and not had opposed. He would make that _crystal clear_ of course. He already had more than twenty restaurants being driven to the point of closing.

' _Next thing will be the Rebels. Now. What to do with them'_

The straightforward answer from an uneducated individual was to expel them right now. But that wouldn't be ideal. They would become martyrs to their cause and that wasn't a fly in the ointment he wanted to deal with, nor would it be in his favour should word get out to the media. He wouldn't underestimate the effects of striking down an enemy without just cause because they technically hadn't broken any of the policies. He could tell his niece had helped them to jump through the loops. Instead, he ordered the _shokugeki_ bureau to throw them _shokugekis_ to naturally purge them from his school. He was naturally against _shogekis._ However he wanted to be done with them with as little mental exercise as possible and the fastest way was through _shokugekis_ and let the chips fall where they may. In his favour of course. So far it was ineffective in the end and it only made the minor war against them more interesting. They named themselves the Rebel Alliance. An unfortunate and boastful name, thinking it would bolster their confidence to rebel against Central.

' _Children were so naïve'_

They had gained quite a following that was not just Polar Star Dormitory, but other Research Societies which survived the purge as well. Yukihira Souma and Isshiki Satoshi had already inspired those around them and each week, their meager forces were growing at snail's pace. Inconsequential. They were the face of the revolution. Anyhow, the ratio between his loyal students and the trouble makers were four to one. Azami strode across the rich carpet towards his office. The security must be a bit late in changing-over, but no matter. It was very close to winter anyway and were probably ducking out for a quick coffee before returning to their new post.

For months now, he had Isshiki Satoshi tailed. Oh, what an interesting character, he was. It was a pity he declined to join by his side in Central. It was such a waste considering he had talent, pedigree, old wealth and status in the gourmet food world. It was everything Azami could ever want in a strong follower. Yet he decided to foolishly sell himself to the false doctrine that talent should embody creativity rather than perfection. He knew the ex-seventh seater was up to something. He could see it in the way he spoke, the way he looked at people, and the way he walked around the campus through the security feed. The serenity on his young face and the self-assured confidence glittering in his glacier-blue eyes plucked his heart-string in warning. Isshiki Satoshi was...

Intelligent

Witty

Cunning

 _And merciless_

A mirror of himself.

If he couldn't have him, then neither would the Rebel Alliance. Azami permanently separated Isshiki Satoshi from his _kohais_ by designating him into the main building dormitories. Whatever he was planning wouldn't work. There were limitations a minor could do in an adult's world, and Isshiki Satoshi was meddling in business and affairs way out of his league. This was his punishment.

The soft and controlled breathing from his other security behind him at an exact two metres away enveloped him in a serene calm. They were enough for him tonight. He kept these men out of habit rather than for actual protection. Image and representation itself held power and was enough to intimidate and put people in the places, reminding them who was in control. That worked for both the staff and the students.

Finally Azami rounded the corner towards his office. There were a few things he needed to do before he retired to the _doujou_ where he would practice his _kenjutsu_ and meditate. He stepped up to the looming doors and pushed his hands on it. It opened easily and he slithered in, his security maintaining their agreed two metres as he stepped thought the threshold. He opened his onyx-black eyes and looked straight into…

 _Glacial blue ones_

"Good evening Azami-dono, or should I say Azami- _jukeisha_ "

Azami narrowed his eyes. _S_ _uspect?_ He attached the honorific used for police suspects to the end of his name? How strangh. The boy whom he was momentarily thinking about was sitting in his chair, behind his desk. He squared him with cold blue eyes from above slender fingers laced in front of him with his elbows propped onto the antique desk. Such impudence! He dared seat himself in the director's chair. No. stay refined. Azami squelched down the indigence and bile from his throat. He purged himself of such emotions left over from his Academy days as they had no place within him anymore. To the left of his desk was his niece, Alice, his daughter, Erina and her aide, Arato. They were the spitting images of both their mothers, but so much younger, reminding him that they were still children. The seriousness and intensity in their passionate and juvenile eyes stroked amusement within him.

He closed his eyes and smiled condescendingly.

"I see you've made yourself comfortable in my office, Isshiki-kun" he said.

"I suggest you do the same. We have things to talk about"

 _ **SLAM!**_

Azami spun his head around at the clap of thunder behind him, only to see the large doors to his office had been forcefully slammed shut with reverberating beats which shook the ground he stood on. On both sides of ornate frame was Kurokiba Ryou cracking his bulging knuckles looking cruel and hungry for some physical altercation. On the other was Hayama, the composed spice-master who he dusted his hands and fixed a vicious glare on his person. His security also spun around to confront a new threat.

"Why you little-!"

" _Halt"_

Azami raised his hand and stopped his security from moving a muscle. No. It wouldn't do to harm the children despite their audacity to confront him so boldly in his own office, and make quite a dramatic show of it. Azami tilted his head at Isshiki-kun, his smile widening as he projected a gracious and tranquil aura. My, my, my. They must have gone through such trouble to get here and wait for him. No wonder why not a single of the corridor security was in sight. What had they done to them?

Azami stepped one foot after the other until he was right in front of the boy sitting in his seat. He placed his fingers delicately on the wood and leaned his whole body forward. He watched as Isshiki-kun sucked in a breath through his flaring nostrils and how his body fought him to keep still. Azami released an empty chuckle. Isshiki-kun was human, therefore he was not immune to _fear._

"If you insist. Why don't you humour me?" his voice dripped with poisonous honey.

Azami leaned back, not without casting Erina a smile too, reminding her who provided the most love to her in this world where he gifted her with her skill, born from his own ingenuity and hard work so that she could live a life high above the rest. His darling daughter shifted her gaze downwards immediately and she trembled. Suddenly her hands were snatched up by his niece who snarled at him like a little lioness. He eyed his security, making sure that they heeded his instruction and did not touch a single of the students in his office.

"I see how you dance around us, picking the rebels off one by one and separating us from one another, so I'll extend you the same curtesy. Ever since you came back to Tootsuki with Nadeshiko-sama's Last Will and Testament, we had been suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it and the timing of your arrival"

Azami raised an eyebrow.

"We pooled our resources and investigated it. The doctor's report and the coronor's report from Senzaemon-dono was highly suspicious and upon further investigation, we found that Nadeshiko-sama's death was unnatural"

Isshiki-kun lifted himself from his chair. His voice was stone-cold and the muscles in his arms bunched up at the shoulders. Azami's smirk remained plastered on his face as he propped his leather-gloved hands on his hips. Azami leered.

"Nadeshiko-sama was a sickly individual to begin with and often fell ill. Her condition was fragile after Nakiri-kun's birth, and when she suddenly fell ill, the doctors failed to diagnose that the combination of symptoms Nadeshiko presented with conformed to that of _hemlock poisoning_ "

"What a fantastical conclusion Isshiki-kun. Did you need help conjuring that tale?"

Azami couldn't help but laugh lowly under his breath. He could hear his niece growling at him. Isshiki-kun remained undeterred and still watched him carefully from the other side of the desk.

"Does it sound like a tale? Truth can be stranger than fiction. We have all the evidence we need to convict you and have your thrown out of Tootsuki"

Azami threw his head back and his well-groomed hair fell from his place with a mighty snort. The surge of cruel hilarity throttled through him at Isshiki-kun's accusation. He laughed cruelly and cackled with abandon. It was too much to hold in! His shoulders shook and his snide smirk split his face after he emptied himself with that wonderful burst of energy. Dear little Isshiki-kun. He really went over his head this time. He had thrown himself into the shark's cage carelessly and _this_ shark had defeated his foe thousands of time over. These children weren't just naïve. They were also _ignorant_.

"Huh. You think I'm the murderer? No… You _want_ me to be the murderer. This is your tactic. This is how you plan to get rid of me… By _framing_ me"

Isshiki-kun continued, much to Azami's delight.

"It all started with the information broker, Orihara Izaya, who claimed to have worked for you. By chance, he had revealed to me that he had knowledge of you taking advantage of Nadeshiko-sama's declining health and planned a hasty death so that you could orchestrate her Last Will and Testament to be written in your favour. When Senzaemon-dono found out his daughter chose you to be the director-elect, that threw a spanner into your plans and he rescinded the document from the government and hid it. He forged his own to stop you from taking over. You went into hiding after excommunication, biding your time until you gained enough influence and power for the right moment. That was when you contacted Orihara Izaya to hack, locate and retrieve the real Last Will and Testament that matched your chirographed one"

Azami sucked on his teeth, his smile gone from his pale face. Orihara huh. It looked like he didn't take well to being arrested just shortly after their final meeting. Azami did not think any more of the man after his name was splashed on the headlines and sought peace of mind that the information broker would no longer be a potential threat to his plans. That man's head was not screwed on correctly and tended to be a tricky wild-card, never knowing what he would do next. Azami had a feeling that Orihara would pull strings just as much as he did. Even now, he could still see that all knowing, self-satisfied grin pulling on the information broker's face. This was his revenge act on his client after getting arrested, it seemed.

"Next we had to have solid proof that it _was_ hemlock poisoning. So, with the help of others, we dug out evidence from Lady Nadeshiko's old room which was preserved at the moment of her death, and we interviewed maids who used to work for her. Luckily for us the room was undisturbed for sixteen years, so the evidence was uncontaminated. We found black tea stains on a discarded hand towel which tested positive to small traces of _coniine,_ the prevalent alkaloid found in poison hemlock which gives it, its toxicity. You poisoned her tea"

Isshiki-kun slapped down a manila folder onto the table and pushed it towards Azami. He looked at it coldly. He didn't need to open it to know that it must be an independent report which tested the the so-called black tea stain. Azami instead clasped his arms behind his back. He was amazed at the details laid out before him and spoken so eloquently by the student.

"How could you be sure it was I?" he baited Isshiki-kun.

"You were _right there_ when Nadeshiko-sama drew her last breath. Her blood was on your fingertips when you tore that _photo_ and did _nothing._ You didn't help, you didn't call the maids, you didn't call the doctor for _more than thirty minutes_. That's how long it takes for blood to coagulate and split, which was _exactly_ what we found on the _tatami_ mat by her _futon_. Your bloodied finger-print as well as a productive interview with Chiyo-san, Lady Nadeshiko's lady in waiting from the Nakiri Manor who witnessed you as the last person to leave her room, puts you as the primary suspect"

Isshiki-kun jabbed his finger against the manila folder. Azami felt his fingers ball into fists. A flash of their wedding photo flittered across his mindscape. A momentary sharp stab in his heart made his bones sing and ache.

Deep violet eyes.

Soft pale skin

A cheerful smile.

' _No…!'_

Azami obliterated it from his memory.

"To find further proof that it was you, I visited Orihara-san again. He directed me to the place where you had originally bought dried poison hemlock"

Isshiki-kun revealed a large, dirty and ratty scroll from under the desk and unfurled it across the expanse of the large desk. A whirlwind of dust smelling musty basements full of herbs and spices tickled his nose. Azami spotted a post-it note marker at a particular entry and he narrowed his eyes at it. He didn't need to lean further to read what Isshiki-kun had marked because he told him anyway.

"April Seventeenth, year 2000… Nakamura Azami… one _momme_ of dried _dokuninjin_ stems. Four thousand _yen_ _. This ledger from_ _Goshinboku Pharmacy_ _has your name, date and signed by the black-market poison-trader from sixteen-years-ago"_

Suddenly an urgent pull clasped around his lapels and almost yanked him to the floor. He looked down in anger to see his fragile and traitorous daughter clutching desperately onto his suit, ruining the starched fabric. Her golden hair whipped wildly around her and her eyes filled with anguish and confusion. Her face was red and tears began spilling from eyes that reminded him so much of Nadeshiko.

"I-I've seen the evidence with my own eyes! WHY DID YOU DO IT FATHER?! WHY DID YOU KILL HER?! WHAT HAD MOTHER-"

 _ **SLAP!**_

He had no idea what happen. At first Erina was making a disgraceful spectacle of herself and him and suddenly she was on the floor at his feet, pathetically nursing her rapidly swelling cheek. Azami stood frozen slowly becoming aware that his right hand was raised. He looked to it in wonder, squinting his eyes as he scrutinised the leather of his glove that felt slightly warm and slightly stinging as he had just slapped his daughter in the face. He hummed and then clenched and unclenched it before dropping it to his side. So… even though it's been years since he had hit her, the feeling was still the same. _It was necessary._

" _Erina!"_

" _Erina-sama!"_

The two girls threw themselves to the floor by his daughter's side. Her aide wrapped her arms around Erina's torso to gently hauled her up. Tears were also brimming in her eyes and raging fear paralysed her to the floor, right beside his fallen daughter. Erina was now openly crying and he wanted to roll his eyes. She had endured worse from him in the past, why was she wailing like his now? His niece grabbed her hand and stroked her hair, pain and fury marred her expression until her eyes bled-red. She darted her chin in his direction and her shrill voice left him slightly deaf.

" _How dare you!"_ she shrieked.

"I-I'm okay… Alice… It's nothing I'm unaccustomed too" Erina rasped through her sobs.

' _That's my girl'_

"No! That is _not_ alright! You have no right to touch you like that. Uncle! You are a vile and despicable man and I'm ashamed to call you my family!"

A tingling sensation rippled across the back of his head, as if fingers had quickly brushed through his hair. Perplexed, he reached around to touch his soft strands. He turned and was genuinely surprised to see Kurokiba Ryou's hands mere centimetres away from him. His fingers were out-stretched, searching to dig themselves into his skin and rip him apart. The other had already dug itself into the solid arms around his waist pulling him back from his person. Azami smiled and took a step back from the feral student, leaving some safe distance. The Danish boy from the ghetto struggled against the tightening hold from one of his strongest bodyguards like an untamed tiger. His eyes were wild and barbaric as it soley trained on Azami and his teeth bared at him like a wild savage. His body guard, Shigure-san, was having some difficulty with the student, but nothing he couldn't handle as he held him in place like a collared dog.

" _Brænd i Helvede...!"_

Azami smirked at his Danish insult. Well, it looked like his protective instincts extended to Erina as well, not just to Alice. A grunt notified him that Hayama too had his arms twisted roughly behind his back. His long silver hair had escaped his hair tie as he tried his best to shake of his second strongest bodyguard, Tomatsu-san. He huffed from his futile attempts and his over exertion, trying to reach over to Azami. Disgust and horror at his actions burned in the Bengali students eyes as well.

"Now. Where were we?"

Azami merely smirked back at his niece and the other aide, which fuelled her ire. His niece and the aide helped Erina up to her feet and placed her onto the visitor's couch. Both girls bared their teeth at him. The way they tried to defend his daughter from him was remarkable and commendable to say the least. Erina sure knew who to pick as her loyalists. He turned his attention back to Isshiki-kun who was staring at the floor where Erina had lain just a few seconds ago. He couldn't see his face, by her rage was tangible in the air.

" _You… are a monster"_ he seethed.

Finally, he looked up through his auburn fringes and Azami was met with cold fury which personified the arctic storms responsible for taking the lives of many snow explorers. Azami stepped forward again. He relished in seeing Isshiki-kun hold his ground. Such a strong disposition. He glared back at him defiantly and his eyes swam with utter hatred. Well, he was used to it. He didn't get to where he was by being nice and by being well-liked.

"You have all the evidence, you say. Then why do you need to confront me like this?"

 _Step_

"Why not go to the police?"

 _Step_

Isshiki-kun stiffened his jaw. There it was. The true reason why this whole situation was engineered.

"Oh… you want a _confession_ "

His eyes shone under the office lights.

"Then you obviously don't have everything. I guess you can't be as thorough sixteen years after my late wife's death, can you? Since you went through such pains to unearth all this Nakiri anguish, I'll deign you with what you want. But first"

 _ **SNAP!**_

Azami snapped his fingers.

" _Search them"_

Azami could hear Kurokiba and Hayama plummet to the floor with a loud crash. His bodyguard were trained in take-down methods that would both incapacitate, and keep both those students on the floor and regret they even tried to test their strengths. He watched his niece, daughter and her aide's eyes widened in horror, their mouths in a silent scream. Their trembling hands lifted up towards their face in pathetic attempts for self-preservation. Azami closed his eyes momentarily to hear the snaps of mobile phones echo around the rounds. When he opened his eyes, small and large chunks of metal and an array of wires littered the floor at his feet, ensuring that no such recording devices was permissible in his space.

"Alice. Erina. Arato. _Cooperate_ "

Next his body guards approached the three girls, their muscles flexing as they roughly shoved their all three girls arms up and patted them down. They snatched up three more smartphones and promptly switched them off before throwing them at Azami's feet. Finally, they searched Isshiki-kun. He held his arms up with no question and his chin held high. It was so admirable. In the face of humiliation, Isshiki-kun still endeavoured to maintain his dignity in this unravelling and losing battle. After his men patted down the ex-seventh seater, they procured both his mobile phones…

… and an audio-recorder.

"Hah. I've been playing this game much longer than you have, Isshiki-kun"

He intended to secretly record the confession to add to his growing pile of evidence for the police, did he? Clever. _But not clever enough._ Azami flipped the audio-recorder in his palm to inspect its quality. It was new. Such a shame. He gripped it with both his hands and snapped it in half. He let the sharp plastic casing crumble in his gloved hands and peered at Isshiki-kun through the falling debris. The crunch made the girls wince and Isshiki-kun remained stone-faced. In his periphery, he could detect Kurokiba and Hayama's ragged breaths on the floor, clutching their arms and body in pain as they writhed there like pathetic worms. Again, let that be a lesson to them to think they could challenge his men.

"Now that's out of the way. I'll tell you what you yearn for. Yes. I did poison my wife"

Erina released a strangled sob.

"Why" Isshiki-kun demanded.

"You already know the reason why"

"No. I mean _why_ did it have to be murder?"

"If someone is in the way, you get rid of them—"

"BUT SHE WAS YOUR WIFE!"

"She was a tool"

Isshiki-kun sucked in a breath. Again. Children were so naïve.

"Nadeshiko was my gateway into the gourmet food world. At one point, I think I did love her. Or maybe I loved the _idea_ of her. Either way, our views conflicted. She wasn't the answer to my dream like she had promised. My dream was something others couldn't see, not ever her. That's when I knew I alone could carry it out. But still wanted to, no, _had_ to make them see and without her there to oppose me. It would be easy and simple"

Azami stepped around the desk, approaching Isshiki-kun. He kept his arms folded behind his back, stepping slowly and deliberately, keeping his eyes on the student behind his desk. He watched like a hawk as the student turned to the side, keeping Azami in his view, as well as the body guards who had their knees pressed heavily against Kurokiba and Hayama's back. If those two boys moved recklessly, they would only snap their own spines.

"My empire is the _salvation_ "

He circled to stand right by the window, trapping Isshiki-kun between himself and the chair.

"There is only one method of cuisine and it is the one that abolishes all the competition that seeks to taint and corrupt you young chefs of the future generations. I've watched my precious people fall prey to the corrupt systems, which are riddled with faults, and the double standards thanks to Tootsuki's old and decrepit methods. They were ruined. But my method presents only one standard where none can stray, therefore none could fail"

"You think you are _so_ right…"

"I am. I care for _all_ of you and your future, and that's why I have faith that my values in the ultimate haute cuisine is the _right_ method" he reached out and stroked Isshiki-kun's jawline. "My gift to the future generation is a culinary empire that will be at its highest in advancement where food of god-like quality will be abundant. That's what everyone strives for in their deepest of hearts and I'm the one that will pave the way to that desire and greatness"

" _Kami-sama._ I preferred that you were actually a monster"

"What?"

"That would explain your lack of humanity" Isshiki-kun stepped forward "You speak of caring for all the students, when really it's all about yourself. You killed your wife for _your selfish_ desires. You abused your daughter for _your selfish desires_. You take our school for _your selfish desires._ You care about none but yourself"

Azami frowned at the student who dared to interrupt him.

"You speak of your precious people falling prey to the corrupt system? What about what you are doing now? Your so-called _precious_ students are suffering and falling the same way by _your_ system. Nobody asked this from you. We were thriving under our creativity and support from the school without you. It isn't about bringing this… this… _gift_ for a utopian culinary world! You just wanted revenge for whatever wrong doing against you in the past, which I don't care to know. Your system it cruel to others because for whatever reason you and your friends were treated cruelly long ago. You just want cruelty to beget cruelty. You're no more superior to the ones that were cruel to you. You and your team are just a whole bunch of new cruel people, being cruel to other people who will be inspired to be cruel to others too"

The brat slammed his hand on the table.

"The evidence in in your daughter. You made her in your image and she was cruel to others. She lived a lonely existence and only surrounded in people who delighted in being cruel with her or only saw her for her prestige. It got her nowhere. Until she met Yukihira Souma and the rest of us, she changed for the better and then she surrounded herself in positive people. People who truly _cared_ and _strived_. She is happier than she ever was. Her cooking flourished exponentially. Isn't that what you want for her and your students?"

Azami could feel his refined control slipping, but he hung onto it tightly.

"My daugher's excellence is because of me. She wouldn't have her _God's Tongue_ to lead without my doing and my guidance. The ultimate values I've instilled in her is the reason why Tootsuki could still stand and will continue standing on many generations to come"

"And what makes you so sure that your values are worth more than the values of the students? Is it the money? The accident of birth that gives you the prestigious name of Nakamura and then Nakiri?"

"Hmph. I move the culinary empire forward. I move this _country_ forward"

The brat shook his head.

"Human progress isn't measured by industry. It's measured by the _value_ you place on a person's _future…_ an _unimportant_ person… a person _without_ privilege… All those students you've expelled… _Their_ values are _your_ values. That's what defines a prosperous generation"

Azami chuckled darkly. He unlaced one hand from behind his back and caressed the ancient oak which made up his table-top.

"What a beautiful speech. The rhythm and vocabulary is quite outstanding. It's enough to move anyone with an ounce of compassion in their hearts…" he looked up and stared in square in the eyes. _"So it's really not your night, is it?"_

The brat tensed up.

"Well, I guess you got what you wanted, which was my confession so have peace of mind that you and your little investigative team were right. But still you have no evidence for _this_ night except for a few eye witness accounts from a bunch of vengeful students whom nobody is going to take seriously. All your evidences are circumstantial at best, so it will barely make it past the front desk of the local precinct. You truly have _nothing_ now and all your efforts are wasted, Isshiki-kun"

Azami sneered at him.

"Every member of the Rebel Alliance is hereby expelled. I will make sure _none_ of you will have any access to work in hospitality of any kind while I still draw breath"

As soon as he finished his declaration, something didn't feel right. The brat's spirit was supposed to be crushed. The life and hope in his blue eyes were meant to fall in despair. Instead, it flickered with light. What was going on?

"You're right, Azam-dono. Nobody is going to believe the words of a bunch of teenagers. _However…"_

He crossed his arms and had the _gall_ to smirk right back at him!

"The police _will_ believe audio and video recordings"

"I destroyed your silly little toy"

"Check your pocket"

Ice dripped down Azami's neck. He furrowed his eyes at the brat, catching for any sign for a bluff. He was still smirking with the same curve of those lips he was so familiar with in the mirror. Azami slowly brushed his hand across his pockets and was startled to feel a small bump in it. He gritted his teeth and dived into it and fished out the damned contraption that somehow escaped his notice! He unfurled his fingers and his teeth was immediately on edge.

 _"How…"_

"Nakiri-kun planted it on you" said the brat.

Azami twisted his head towards his daughter… No… the traitorous and ungrateful wench. She was standing up now with her cousin and the aide flanking her sides. She had her arms wrapped around her stomach in self-defence, but her violet eyes were hard and defiant at him. Ha. So the little wench slipped it into his pockets when she lunged at him and grabbed his suit jacket. The little show of crying was meant to distract him. He was suddenly played the fool and it tasted bitter on his tongue. He stared at the little listening device resting in his palm, mocking him. There was a tiny antenna attached to it, which meant his voice was recorded and was transmitting elsewhere, probably being saved to an active laptop stowed away in a place not too far from here.

Azami crushed the thing in his palm.

"You conniving son of a bitch…"

"You once told me I was very much like yourself when you were younger. Actually, I think I'm much cleverer than you were if you haven't thought of all the back-up I could possibly have" said the brat. "Smile for the camera, Azami- _yōgisha_ "

The brat pointed up behind him into the darkness outside his window. Azami's eyes followed his finger. Suddenly, there was a blinking red light floating just outside his window that wasn't there before, swaying slightly to and fro like an insect with the movements of the elm sprigs in the nightly wind. Suddenly, it started to move closer from the shadow until it was almost flush against the glass pane and the light from the office made it visible.

 _"Is that..."_

"Yes. It's a de-comissioned police mini stealth drone, courtesy of the daughter of the Superintendent General of TMPD"

* * *

"Hold it still Chizuru-chan! It's going to crash into one of the branches"

"Excuse me! You're talking to one of the finest gamers in Western Tokyo! My skills with the joy stick are unparalleled. I'll show you my scores on the helicopter flight simulation at the arcade if you don't believe me"

"I'm just telling you to be careful"

"And _I'm_ telling _you_ that I've got this in the bag"

Takumi folded his arms on the kitchen bench as he anxiously watched the screen in front of him. The night was filled with people holding their breaths and forgetting to breathe. The victorious feeling of hearing Azami's confession put their minds at rest and justified the cheers bellowing from the Polar Star Dorm members. The screen was steady against the winds right outside their target window. Megumi-san, Isami, Kuchiyose the whole of Polar Star Dorm, Mito-san, and Yukihira were piled into his and Isami's apartment to spectate. Why their apartment? In case Azami's men were planning to schedule their spying routine around Polar Star Dorms tonight.

Takumi watched and listened to Azami talk, and talk while Isshiki-senpai listened. Namikaze navigated Ayame's police commissioned mini-stealth drone very well despite all odds. The two girls had been spending time after school together testing it out on windy days, practicing their precision control for flying the drone exactly how they wanted it against the harsh and unpredictable winds. Takumi could see the Nakiri cousin's and Arato-san were sitting together apprehensively on the visitor's couch while Kurokiba and Hayama weren't given any reprieve at all, still laying on their stomachs under the body guard's knees. It was a sickening sight.

Even worse still was when the _bastardo_ Azami had slapped Nakiri Erina straight onto the floor. Everyone's jaws had dropped! He had committed the criminal act as if it was nothing! Or as if it was reflex from doing it a hundred times! _Vergognoso!_ Yukihira was thrown into a fit and had run for the door, adamant to rampage on foot back to Tootsuki to save Nakiri Erina from her deranged father. Crazily enough, everyone had believed he would be successful in doing just that and risk exposing Isshiki-senpai's plan to record and capture on video. So, the boys had grabbed each of his limbs and threw him into the bathroom. Kuchiyose had jammed his car keys into the handle to successfully lock Yukihira in. Even now, Takumi could still hear Yukihira banging on the door down the corridor with promises to snap-kick Azami in the throat for daring to lay a finger on Nakiri Erina.

"Hey _Salvatore,_ can you remind your girlfriend who was the one who _sprained_ her finger and therefore can't use the joystick, _and therefore_ had to hire some extra help to navigate this drone in her stead?"

Takumi would rather keep out of it. He could hear Ayame pout beside him and before he knew it, her face morphed into her angry turtle face. So adorable. His kitchen bench was getting crowded with many spectators closing in for what looked like Azami's fuse coming short. Ayame reached over Namikaze's shoulder to remote control adjust the sensitivity of the night vision lens on the drone's camera. This drone didn't fail them in foraging for evidences in Lady Nadeshiko's room, so it wouldn't fail them now.

Ayame turned up the volume.

" _Check your pockets"_

"Oh here we go!" Yoshino-san beamed.

Takumi was transfixed as Azami hesitantly patted his pocket. The widening of his eyes and flare of his nostril was the sweet cream on top their cake. His hand dived into his pocket and out came the listening devices Nakiri Erina planted on him when she grabbed him. The outrage in his eyes spoke of his utter demise.

" _How…"_

" _Nakiri-kun planted it on you"_ said Isshiki-senpai.

Suddenly, there was a burst of white noise causing everyone to slap their hands over their ears, except for Namikaze who was well trained in focusing on the joystick. The _bastardo_ had destroyed the listening device, which was also decommissioned by the police and fixed up by Ayame. His girlfriend immediately muted the laptop with a harsh grimace on her beautiful face. Even without sound, Takumi could still tell the gist of what was transpiring. Isshiki-senpai pointed behind him and that was Namikaze's cue. She pushed the button that allow the camera light to blink red to alert anyone that it was operational the whole time and not in stealth-mode any longer. Takumi smirked as Azami's expression caved in with utter fury. The _bastardo_ couldn't do anything further as he finally understood he was being watched and audio recorded since the beginning.

"Let's give him a wave everybody!" jeered Yoshino-san.

Everybody waved their hands at the computer screen, knowing full well that the others couldn't see from the other side.

" _HEY! Let me out!"_

"Have you calmed down yet, Souma-kun?" Sakaki-san yelled back

" _Yeah…"_ came the defeated reply.

Kuchiyose moved away from the bench and disappeared around the corridor to unjam the bathroom door and let Yukihira back out. Soon the irate red-headed chef returned still steaming, but all his pent-up frustration and anger at seeing Nakiri Erina assaulted was almost gone from his system. _Almost._ Takumi would admit that nobody was going to let that even slide. The red-headed chef grumbled under his breath. He hid his bruised fist from banging on the door into his pocket and parked himself in his original seat beside Takumi, still shaking with pent-up rage. Takumi shared the exact same sentiment.

"Oh, he's leaving now…" Megumi-san pointed to the screen.

Sure enough Azami marched out of the office with waved his hand furiously for his body guards to follow. The two boys, Kurokiba and Hayama slowly rolled onto their back to stretch their aching muscles and welcome the breath now being allowed back into their body. Nakiri Alice rushed to her aide's side while Arato-san tended to Hayama. They two girls helped them up while Isshiki-senpai rushed over to Nakiri Erina's side, who waved him off to show that she was fine.

"Okay guys, I think that's a wrap"

Namikaze leaned the spy drone away and Ayame reached over to adjust the night vision lens to full against as the midget Karakura student piloted the drone away to the designated safe spot to be picked up later. All the video and audio had been recorded and saved straight onto the laptop. Once The drone was hidden in its designated safe spot, which was outside Nakiri Alice's bedroom balcony, Ayame taped a few keys the drone was turned off and the remote disconnected. The screen returned to the splash screen.

"Wow. That was so suspenseful" commented Mito-san. "What do we do with the video?"

"I give it to _Otou-san._ He'll know what to do with it. I'm positive his homicide team can build a case around Nakiri Azami and have him thrown in jail because this is pretty damning stuff"

"And your dad is…"

"The Superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department" Ayame said casually.

"Holy smokes. Aldini-san, how are you still alive?"

"I'm not going to dignify that with a comment" He was still sore with everyone's assumption he got his arsed kicked by the high-ranking police officer last night.

"Hey, Ayame-chan. You never explained how you could get the alarm in the front part of the administration building to disarm, and the surveillance cameras leading to Azami's office to turn off. How did you do that?" asked Isami.

"Oh Chizuru-chan is the right person to answer. Chizuru-chan?"

All eyes turned to Namikaze who as busy putting away the joystick. Her brown eyes peered up curiously at her name being called.

"What? Oh ah… I've got this friend whom I play League of Legends with. He's a pretty good hacker who goes by the alias _Falcon._ Anyway, I called him in on a favour and he agreed to help. I asked him to hack into Tootsuki's servers and replace the live feed for the cameras specified in the security roster Ayame-chan forwarded to me, from Nakiri Alice, which was from Isshiki-san who in turn got it from somewhere else—"

"Told you chain-mailing was a hassle to explain" Ayame jumped in.

"Yeah, shut up. He replaced the live feed with a looped one so nobody in security would be none the wiser about what Kurokiba-san and Hayama-san were doing to pave the way for Isshiki-san, Arato-san and Nakiris to corner Azami in his office"

"So, you and this hacker buddy… the _Falcon_. Are you guys close?" asked Yukihira leaning in. He fiddled with his chin as suspicion coated his words. Why the sudden interest?

"Uh… only through League of Legends, I guess. I've never met him in real life"

"Oh okay! So, does that mean that Terunori-senpai… Uh… Is he a uh—"

"Is he a pussy-hound? Meh, I don't know. Maybe he's a closet one, but I'm not one to judge"

Takumi raised his eyebrows at Namikaze bizarre interruption. Her face was bright red and Ayame was chuckling behind her. Even Kuchiyose had a twinkle in his eye. Namikaze's hurried attempts to deflect the conversation which was twisting against her was amusing and spoke volumes. It seemed Terunori-senpai's insistent attempts to court the volatile midget became a hot topic between Ayame, himself and Kuchiyose. The short-haired girl finished packing up the equipment as per Ayame's instructions and quickly helped her self to Megumi-san's supply of warm barley tea to save her the need to engage back into conversation with Yukihira, or anyone else for that matter.

"I like how you just thought _'He's going to say pussy-hound!'_ and just ran with it and finished my question for me" replied Yukihira, smirking at her.

"I'm gonna call Terunori-senpai a pussy-hound when I see him next time" sniggered Daigo-san.

Kuchiyose got up and pulled on his jacket, catching everyone's attention from his sudden movements and jangle of his car keys.

" _I'm going to go pick them up"_ he said.

As arranged, Kuchyose was instructed by Nakiri Alice to escort Isshiki-senpai, herself, Nakiri Erina and Arato-san off the campus with his getaway car. He wasn't sure where he was going to take them, but he hoped it was not his and Isami's apartment because there was barely any room and Polar Star had already arranged to sleep over.

"I'm coming with you" Yukihira jumped up and made a mad dash after the lilac-haired giant "Ah! Thank you so much Kanda-chan, Namikaze-chan. We really appreciate all your help!" He waved at them frantically one last time before disappearing out the door.

"We're entrusting the rest to you now Ayame-san, to get this to your father and convince him to open the case" said Mito-san.

Ayame offered a determined salute. "I will. Don't you worry. Once _Otou-san_ sees this, his moral and obligations to the force won't let him rest until justice against the criminal Azami is served"

" _YOSH!"_

* * *

 ** _GUYS!_ I'm sad! Only the epilogue is left!**

 **Damn, Yukihira and Alice could be so ruthless when taking the mickey out of Takumi! I reckon 'beat you with his kendou stick' is going to be Yukihira's go-to response if he feels like teasing Takumi.**

 **I reckon Kurokiba and Hayama in a different world would make great partners as assassins. Hayama would be the level headed, strategic, logical and calm one while Kurokiba would go guns blazing, not listening, not planning not a care and just _do the damn job with as much spilt blood as possible._ And Hayama would clean up after his mess.**

 **Writing Azami was a tonne of fun. He is a monstrous and cruel person who believes what he is doing is caring and compassionate, and he believes he's god-send. Pretty hard for me to write as I have to present him with these conflicting represetations without making it really obvious to the readers, or make it seem like he is aware he's a bastard through and through. Ah my head hurts from trying to think like Azami :(**

 **And finally Yay! Ayame & Co. pulled through with the drone once again, and finally Chizuru has a purpose with the Rebel Alliance as Ayame's understudy! What did you think of Isshiki's plan throughout the chapter?**

 **AND WHO IS THE SPY ON THE INSIDE OF CENTRAL WORKING FOR ISSHIKI?**

 **Up next is the epilogue (sniff) which I'll make as long as possible too! Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you soon :)**

 **Until next time!**

 **TripWire-dono**


	48. Epilogue

**Guys. GUYS. THIS IS IT. I'm like in tears right now...**

 **The ending theme song is _Thank You_ by Miyano Mamoru and there is a special reason why I chose this ending song for this final FINAL chapter :) I hope you guys check it out!**

* * *

 _Epilogue_

* * *

 ** _More than a year later_**

"Huh… I hate spring"

Satoshi chuckled. The bustling streets were lined with pink and white _sakura_ blossoms. To see the boughs that were so bereft from the passing Winter, naught but a few months ago, becoming so adorned lifted his spirits. Their scents became diffuse in the warming breeze and Satoshi held his head high to savour it. When their petals rained down in a steady trickle a few weeks before graduation, he felt like a dashing prince walking under them. Satoshi placed his drink to the side on the warm stone bench and leaned back onto his palms. The pink blossoms arrived like cake frosting on the trees and grass in pinks and white. The petals burst out from lower down the branches. The soul of every Japanese lived for this blessed moment. Except for one particular Japanese…

"I see jail-time hasn't changed you in the least"

The snort that came his way only made his grin widened at his wayward friend's expense. Eizan-kun's shocking cropped head was the best thing Satoshi had seen all week. The once slicked back and carefully groomed golden strands that spoke of his vainity was no more. All that was left was short tufts of pale blonde hair refusing to stay down. Ha. That was why Eizan-kun needed a preposterous amount of gel to begin with. It seemed he was born with wild blonde hair. But the familiar slicked-back styled had been a part of the Eizan-kun's life about as much as his own. Eizan-kun wouldn't be Eizan-kun without it. Satoshi spent the better part of the afternoon watching him scratch his head with displeasure, not happy with his new look. But alas, the bespectacled young man beside him was resolute in leaving that vain image behind him. It was for the best.

"Your eyes have gone to shits, Isshiki. Jail-time has changed me plenty"

"If you say so"

Satoshi lifted his drink back to his lips and took a long and refreshing sip.

"So… Azami finally got what's coming to him huh? I gotta admit. It feels good to watch clips of the fucker scrambling to get into his car after each court session" said Eizan-kun.

Satoshi hummed. He wouldn't call it 'scramble'. More like, 'power-walking'. Ah yes, the court-case of the past two years. He would be a fool to think that it was going to be a cake-walk. He remembered it just like yesterday. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see the burning condescending and hatred in the snake's eyes. They were void of all humanity and full of hatred, vengeance and deranged desires with just a huge pinch of megolomania. Then whenever he opened his eyes again, he was absorbed into sharp, sky blue orbs. His own eyes. Flickers of fear licked his insides. It was hard to get Azami's words out of his head even with passing time.

* * *

 _'You and I are very similar, Isshiki-kun'_

* * *

Satoshi had _got_ to stop daydreaming in front of his bathroom mirror.

"I wouldn't be so sure. The case is very close to getting thrown out" said Satoshi.

"Are you serious?"

"The evidences the Rebel Alliance gathered up and the confession I recorded was only enough to _open_ the case and Senzaemon-dono finally filed an official charge against him. It's unlikely that was going to be enough to convict him"

Kanda-san had not failed them when she showed the footage that was recorded on her drone to her father. She told him she had convinced him with every breath in her body that he had to accept the case and not file it under a 'pending investigation' box or something. He also remembered the confidence in her as she jabbered away on the phone and combined with the assurance of Namikaze-san and Kuchiyose-kun, that Tootsuki could finally break free from its sleep paralysis. Of course, the Superintendent General was furious of his daughter's involvement and Satoshi was willing to take the brunt of whatever punishment the Superintendent General saw fit as he was the one who took advantage of her position and connections, and lured her into their hot mess. According to Souma-kun, Aldini-kun had stepped in and offered his own body for a severe 'beating' to take responsibility of Kanda-san's actions.

Satoshi was horrified to hear that, but again, Kanda-san's friend's assured him that Aldini-kun would _only_ get a 'verbal beating'. His gut told him that was only half the truth.

"Kinokuni told me that they cordoned off parts of the Nakiri Manor to conduct their own investigations, thinking it was possible to still find evidence decades' later" commented Eizan-kun.

"I've been told that an undisturbed crime scene such as Nadeshiko-sama's sealed off room could still procure useable evidence even after fifteen to twenty years"

"Huh"

Bits and pieces of his memory of those sordid weeks after their ambush was starting to become fuzzy with the passing of time and his busy life as a working adult. Satoshi had been seriously worried when the Nakiri cousins told him about the police coming in and out of their homes. At the time of concocting his plans, he thought it was ingenious. He had thought it was going to be full-proof. He had all the elements on his side and he had his _kouhais_ to depend on. He had never used his brain power as much as he had then.

However, hindsight was always twenty-twenty.

He failed to realise that the police only had a _tampered_ crime scene to work with and therefore The Rebel Alliance had severely stunted their professional investigation. He had never felt so hindered for just being a teenager that time. He sought comfort in the fact that getting Kanda-san to investigate the room had to be done either way to find out how Azami murdered Lady Nadeshiko.

He saw one of the officers one day sometime last year. He only came by himself and wasn't dressed like any of the other usual officers or the forensic teams in their bright white zip-up protective wear, scurrying around with brushes and tweezers. He reminded Satoshi of Chief Inspector Shouseki and Special Detective Rii, whom he had met what felt like a lifetime ago. He could still remember how they spoke to him in their calm tones in his old Elite Ten office, and then they had shown him the file on Orihara Izaya, requesting him to summon his _kouhais_ to speak with them. Just like them, the officer had been a foreigner. He didn't have a problem with the Japanese police employing non-Japanese blooded people to serve and protect the community. It was just unheard of. He concluded that the Superintendent General and the Police Commissioner only had eyes for skill rather than national blood to fill their ranks.

Satoshi conjured up the faraway image of the other police officer he hadn't had the privilege to meet. He could tell from the way the gentleman held himself and walked, that he was a lean and muscular man. He appeared to be a British gentleman from the way he gestured with his solitary gloved hand and his general mannerisms. He had medium length greyish-silver hair which reached the tips of his shoulders and was pulled back into a low ponytail, leaving thick locks of his white hair to frame his filled-out face. Most striking of all was the scar he bore. It was a fleshy coloured wonky star shaped burn above his left brow which trailed down into a line that severed his silver eyebrow and marred his eyelid. There was an extra line of scar tissue which hooked slightly at his cheekbone before following close his cheek down to his chin. What torture that police officer must have gone through in the past!

Satoshi had enquired the Nakiri cousins about him and came to know him as Detective Inspector Horousha from the Homicide Division of TMPD. It was a strange last name. As strange as having 'Shouseki' has a last name. _'Horousha'_ … It could mean a variety of things depending on the context. 'Drifter'… 'Vagrant'… 'Wanderer'… or even just _'Walker'_. It was amusing to hear of foreigners adopting Japanese last names. It was like they didn't get the nuances of any of the meanings at all and just flipped through random pages in a dictionary and blindly tapped a finger on the page. Ah but he digressed.

"What about the confession? Wan't that the strongest piece of evidence? Surely he can't refute that. He clearly said he murdered his wife" said Eizan.

"That was a double-edged sword" sighed Satoshi. "I was told it would most likely be thrown out under grounds of _entrapment_ '

"What do they mean that?"

"It could be interpreted that we almost _co-erced_ him into a confession"

 _"Almost…_ being the operative word here"

"Still the prosecutor is unlikely to be able to use it"

"Ah. That sucks"

"You know, even the media could make great detectives. I've been hearing a lot of dirt on Azami these past two years. He had a bloody cemetery in his closet"

Satoshi smiled again. Never underestimate the powers of journalism and the media. They could find _anything_ on _anyone._ Their widespread fingers and all seeing eye were powered by loose morals and their ignorance of boundaries. Azami's high profile and fame was like the honey for the ants and the various news corporation had found their lucrative muse. Pending law suits on both Nakamura and Nakiri Azami rose to the surface like sewage from broken pipes. Extortion, black-mail, insider trading, work place harassment was only a small fraction of the charges against Azami from overseas. The people lapped it up and soon opinions on his person had been formed by the public.

 _Wife-killer_

 _Murderer_

Satoshi shook his head. That was an ugly stain the excommunicated Nakiri was unlikely to erase from his _Armani_ three-piece suit. Unfortunately, the Nakiri Family were also hounded by journalists and the media. Satoshi never imagined how chaotic it was going to be. It was pandemonium! It lasted for months and months. Satoshi and the students themselves were ambushed more times they cared to count by journalists wanted a scoop on the _'brave students who sought justice against the murderer'_ or inside story _._ They ended up getting a fistful of Fumio-san to the jaws and a restraining order specifically for minors.

"They're going to let him go scot-free. I know the type like him, and the influence and power they have. He'll have his people do something like sabotage the jury. He'll have the court-system eating out of the palm of his hand" said Eizan-kun. " _Then_ he'll return, you mark my words. He's like the turd that won't flush. Just when you think he's gone, back up he comes"

Satoshi snorted at the horrendous visual imagery but he agreed with him all the same. He hoped it wouldn't be for a very long time. Eizan-kun scratched vehemently at his scalp again. Satoshi tilted his head back again to enjoy the warm sunbeam pouring from the narrow openings of the pale clouds as it outlined the fringes of the lazy drifting clouds. The calm, relaxing shades of blue in the background supported the clouds and sun like a perfect picture. The colourful swings merrily jumped up and down accompanied by little humans with smiles from ear-to-ear. Satoshi decided a change of conversation was in order.

"What about you Eizan-kun? What are your plans?"

He listened to his friend grunt and shifted on the stone bench. He set aside his own drink, placing it on the ground before hunching over his spread knees, his elbows firmly planted on them. Satoshi's interest piqued as he closely watched Eizan-kun's hands come together, hovering above the ground. Oh interesting. It was his trademark thinking pose only known to the aurburn-haired student. He wanted to tell him something but didn't know how. This time, he shouldn't have anything to fear.

"It's only been a few weeks since I got out but… I'm gonna start up my consultation business again" began Eizan-kun

Satoshi's jaw dropped.

"I'm not going back to Tootsuki— Don't give me that look— I need to make money as soon as possible. I need to continue _Okaa-san's_ cancer treatment"

Satoshi felt the corners of his mouth drag downwards at the news. He wasn't easily surprised, but today he was. He hadn't given a thought to Eizan-kun's family at all. What did Eizan-kun's mother think about her son's decision? Only Satoshi knew that Eizan-kun's mother suffered from cancer. He swore an oath to Eizan-kun. He couldn't remember which stage of the cancer it was, but either way she was continuing to decline over time, the chemotherapy was the only viable treatment option left to her and its effects weren't as effective as it used to be. The worry echoed, starting from his heart and pulsed in waves throughout his blood vessels. This was why money had always been Eizan-kun's priority as a student. He was diligent in his own lucrative endeavours and barely cared for Tootsuki's own finances or bettering his already superb culinary skills. He even went as far to dip into insider trading to fill that insatiable need for money. Satoshi's long standing suspicions as to why was confirmed in that moment. Eizan-kun needed to make money to take care of his ill mother.

"I've still got some loyal customers who want to continue using my services despite my sentence. After all, there's nobody else who can do what I can. I'll build my clientele again from the ground up. It'll be hard since everybody knows my shit too, but I gotta try anyway" he said.

"So… who had been funding your mother's cancer treatment the whole time you were away? Your accounts were all frozen! Surely not Tonohara-kun" exclaimed Satoshi.

"My dick-head little brother can't tell his head from his arse. Of course, not him. It was the _police_ "

"W-What?"

"Yeah. The police looked after _Okaa-san_ for me"

Satoshi didn't know where to begin. It seemed like Eizan-kun sensed his cognitive failure. He sighed and dived into a half-hearted explanation.

"They did a case history on me so my family situation came to light. While I was detained, the police gathered funds to continue paying for _Okaa-san's_ treatment" said Eizan-kun "I owe them a debt now"

"That… must've been a _huge_ amount of money"

Satoshi figured there was a catch somewhere. The police must have been aware of the impacts on a criminals' family when one of their members have been arrested for a crime. A successful conviction had the potential to bring a family together in solidarity… or tear them apart. In Eizan-kun's case, his family was already torn apart. His father was no longer in his life, his younger brother was doing _Kami-sama_ knows what and his mother is a long-term resident in the Karakura General Hospital cancer ward and Satoshi was sure the family's private health funds had dried up too quickly to be of much benefit. Who was left to be the breadwinner of the whole family?

 _'Only Eizan-kun… and now he owes them'_

"I know what you're thinking, Isshiki. I owe them a life debt. They took care of my mother while I couldn't and for that I'm grateful"

 _'They can call in that debt anytime they like… They know how far Eizan-kun's fingers can stretch… They can use him to be their informant as long as they like'_

Satoshi didn't want to bruise his ex-classmate's dignity more than what was necessary, so he kept that thought to himself. He watched Eizan-kun talk about the police with a level of respect he seldom saw the young man speak towards anyone. He could tell that his gratefulness genuinely came from the heart. The distant look in his eyes was softer compared to when he was a high-strung student of Tootsuki. Satoshi pardoned the incorrect thought. He was high-strung on the _inside._ On the outside, he always kept everybody at a mile away and ensured he appeared laid-back to shield people like Rindou-senpai from sticking her nose where it shouldn't be.

 _Whoosh!_

"Hm?"

Satoshi fiddled around in his pockets until he found his phone. He swiped the screen to read the message.

 _'Ah speaking of Rindou-senpai'_

* * *

 _Hey Isshiki, how's it hanging?_

 _I heard they're throwing Azami in the slammer soon  
For once I wish I was there to see it, but nope.  
I'm still working in the greatest city in the world,  
NEW YORK! HAHA! Life is non-stop over there :P  
Good luck to you all. YOU NEED IT._

 _Anyway, onto important news.  
This song has been stuck in my head for ages.  
It's sooooooo good. Check it out!_

 _-Rindou-daisama the great_

* * *

Satoshi chuckled. The wide variety of _emojis_ she used was dizzying.

"What's so funny?"

"Rindou-senpai. She sends us her best, as well as a new song she's taken a fancy to. It's called **_Thank You_**. Doesn't say who wrote it. Let's listen to it" Satoshi opened up the file and pressed download, waiting for the little bar to complete.

"Let's not. If her taste in food is the same as her taste in music, I'll pass thanks"

"Come now! Perhaps living in New York has refined her tastes"

"I doubt it" grumbled Eizan-kun. Satoshi pressed play anyway.

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 ** _Konna chikaku ni iru no ni  
Tsutaetenai koto ga kimi ni takusan aru no ni  
_ _Just tell me how to get straightforward_**

 ** _"_ _I found my soul a best friend"  
Kono mune ni te wo atetara  
Kitto ichiban ni ukabu kao ha  
_ _"_ _Well just you and you and you"_ _  
Dakedo terekusai kara  
Mada kimi ni iwanai_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

Erina place the bowl back onto the bench.

 _"WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU EXPECT ME TO SWALLOW SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN COOKED WITH BARELY ANY CONVICTION?!_

Erina slammed her first onto the bench. The saltiness and sweetness sizzled into nothingness upon her divine tongue. That was the least of her troubles. Disappointment raged through her as she glared at the tremoring chef kneeling on the floor before her.

 _'Inside voice… remember what Hisako said… inside voice'_

"W-What I mean is that, my father is gone, and yet you continue to still cook using his own methods. I don't taste your true self at all! How could you call yourself a chef of Tootsuki when you continue to sell yourself short so easily? Have you no _honour?_ "

"N-Nakiri-s-sama…"

"Don't Nakiri-sama me. Enrol with Yukihira Souma and get ready for his rehabilitation"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

The pulse on Erina's templed pulsed again. Did he just call her _ma'am?_ Did she _look_ like a ma'am? Did she look that old already? Erina was no longer a student, but it's only been a few weeks since she graduated! That didn't mean she was already a _ma'am!_ As soon as she clenched her first, the young student grabbed his bowl and skeddadled from her sight. Erina thrusted the air from her nose like a raging bull. She needed to control herself better than that, but really, people's stupidity knew know bounds. This was the ninth time a student had come before her puffing their chest out, thinking that they could be the first to score winning criticism from the infamous _God's Tongue._ All because they had been under her father's tutelage. They had another thing coming. Erina flounced onto the stool by the bench. She took great pains to uncurl her fingers from her fist and relaxed it against the smooth surface.

 _'Tasting people's emotions is tiring'_

Arrogance, hatred, suspicion and _Father_

She had no more room for any of that in her life now.

Almost every student cooked with those four things in their hearts. It made her burn. Funnily enough it didn't make her angry at them, it made her angry at _her father._ She guessed it manifested into her berating them non-stop and they misinterpreted her anger was towards them and their incompetence. She was sickened by how deep his doctrines took root in the nubile young minds of the chefs of her school. Now it was her duty to make them see the light and so with the help of Polar Star Dorm, she and Hisako had set up a program to slowly 'un-train' her students from Father's rigid and fascist teachings, so that they could return to using their creative and natural-born talents.

"Did you just seriously call my program _rehabilitation?_ "

Erina jolted.

"Y-Yukihira-kun! Wh-What are you doing here?"

Her cheeks fired up. The young chef leaned against the kitchen door frame with his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans. He cocked her a blinding smile that sent butterflies roiling in her stomach. Her eyes sought to look everywhere except his face, but it was extremely hard. That rubicund hair which defied gravity was getting more eye-catching every time she saw him. Over the past two years his form had lengthened until he looked almost gangly in a charming sort of way. He might be very lean but there was still a great strength in him that never died out since the first moment she laid eyes on him. His rigorous training during third year had served him well. Erina shifted in her seat, refusing to think about his physique. Ever since Father was taken away, the school fell into a power vacuum. _Ojii-sama_ was still not in his right mind to take over the school, and he was going to be consumed with the police and eventually lawyers anyway. So Doujima Gin was appointed to be the relieving Director while _Ojii-sama_ and the Nakiri family focused on the immediate problem. Doujima-sama's steadfast leadership and unwavering conviction to the school was all that was needed to bring it back from the brink of despair and back into the light.

It had been a couple of weeks since their graduation and Erina had been working to the bone for this school. She couldn't take the state of affairs lying down so with some convincing from the school board and Doujima-sama's permission, Erina established a training program that would help students re-connect with their creativity, tap into their own unique talents and be expose to the array of inspiration at the fingertips, just waiting to be discovered and used in their recipes.

It wasn't about 'fixing' and 'correcting' their weaknesses anymore, it was all about celebrating and building their strengths.

Erina called it _'Polar Star 101'_

It was embarrassing but she couldn't think of any other appropriate name for her program… But her gut told her it to be it and of course, she couldn't have a program named after the infamous Dormitory without somebody from the dormitory working alongside her. That was where the one and only Yukihira Souma came in.

"Came by to check up on you. I was gonna ask Hisako but she was very busy on the phone so I didn't wanna bother her. But wow. You called my program a _rehabilitation_. It's not like the students here are still drugged up or stoned on Azami right?" he replied.

Damn it, his voice got her every time. The rich low tones he had developed through puberty was not fair. It also still irked her that he called Hisako by her given name and _she_ was still called 'Nakiri'. Not that it was a problem but… it was just that one _stagiare_ back in first year where he and Hisako were more familiar, so he didn't need to keep calling her aide 'Hisako' right?

"Excuse me. _Our_ program. I'm the one who's coordinating it, you implement it. My students are still restricted and trapped in Father's mindset. So, in a way it's rehabilitation. We want to get them back to their old selves and encourage them to improve their creativity and skills once more, remember?"

"Sure, sure" he said offhandedly.

Erina got up from her seat and smoothed out her chef's uniform. She watched Yukihira-kun play with some lint on his old Yukihira-diner shirt. She had always been captivated by the swirling symbol and the calligraphy style of his name against the dull navy blue fabric. It was his home, his soul and his creed. Yukihira Souma wouldn't be who he was without his family diner, nor it's cooking style. He looked out of place and odd if he wore any other uniform or clothes for that matter. He must have been aware of it as he even wore his diner shirt under his school uniform up until graduation. Others probably that he had an unhealthy attachment to it, or he had a few hundred sets of them. His family diner shirt was his trademark, along with his sash. Everyone could recognise him that way.

Thinking about his diner prompted her to ask the question she had been so nervous to do so.

"A-Are you okay with helping me with the program next year though? I mean… everyone has plans after graduation like going back to their home town or start establishing their career"

"Hmm… Yukihira Diner is still gonna be there. I don't have to go back straight away"

"What about your father and your childhood friends who are waiting for you?"

"I'm worth the wait" he grinned at her.

He certainly was. Erina blushed profusely at the implication that their program at Tootsuki took precedent over his dreams to take over his father's business. She shouldn't be thinking too much of it because there was no way he could really understand the implications of his words. That was the thing with Yukihira-kun. He just told things like they were, no filter, no double meanings. It was just from the heart. It drove her mad. Madder still was that she just wanted to shake him and make him further explain what he _really_ meant by what he said so she could be rid of the torture of uncertainty! She would dishonour _Ojii-sama_ if she snapped out at him again when she was supposed to be keeping her emotions in check. Erina coughed into her first.

"Anyway, you found me, so now what? You have something to say?"

"Nope. Do I need to reason to come find you? I just wanted to see you" he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Oh…" Erina looked away sheepishly now that his intense gold eyes found interest in the splintering wood on the door frame, still looking for a double entrende… or a hidden _shokugeki_ challenge.

"How long have you been in here?" asked Yukihira-kun.

He stepped into the room with his hands tucked behind his head. He released a mighty yawn so she could see all his teeth. He surveyed the kitchen which looked the same as all the other kitchen rooms with mild interest before casting his eyes in her direction again. His diner shirt rode up his belly revealing a set of toned abdominal muscles that sent Erina's mind into a whirlwind.

"Uh.. Um… since this morning" she replied.

His head tilted towards her.

"What? All day? Come on! We gotta get you outta here for some fresh air. Hey, I know. How about we go get some charcoal chicken or a halal snack pack or two?"

Yukihira-kun approached her fast and leaned against the bench in front of her. She watched the tendons in his neck slightly bulge as her exerted them to get close to her. His face lowered down towards her own red one and he smiled brightly. Erina didn't know what to do! He was so near her and it was making her body malfunction just from that. Her heart palpitations worsened and stomach squirmed. He really was an imbecile who didn't know how to mind personal space!

"W-Where the heck are we going to find that?"

"Hayama's place. Didn't you know? _Kami-sama,_ he makes the best charcoal chicken. You're missing out, Nakiri. Come! I'll treat you some!"

Erina was suddenly yanked from her seat. She yelped out in indignation as she felt her hand clasped firmly in a larger hand. His fingers were warm against her cold skin and she could feel it spreading up her arms like a fire tornado. The strength he used to lift her easily from her perch was mind boggling and she struggled to keep her balance as the rambunctious chef rambled on, and on, about spices and chicken and how he wished Hayama-kun could divulge his secret spice mix.

 _"Don't run in the hallway! It's against the rules!"_

"We ain't students anymore!" he yelled back.

He kept running. Truth be told, Erina never really paid the Bengali chef any mind ever since he was expelled from school in second year. There might have been a tinge of pittance, but that was probably it. She knew he could make it on his own since he had such skill and talent, therefore she didn't feel the need to worry over him. It was Shiomi-sensei who was worth worrying over, despite securing a position in Toudai. Erina could do nothing but run on unsteady legs behind him as he excitedly dragged her down the classroom corridor in his glee. Her yells for him to let her go and slow down fell on deaf ears and so she just resigned herself to her fate.

 _'He still hasn't let go of my hand'_

They weren't in a hurry, were they? The restaurant Hayama-kun worked in definitely wasn't going to close at this hour so why the rush? Also, there were no students around so fat chance they would get separated by a non-existent crowd. She looked up into the back of Yukihira-kun's head. Since when had he gotten so tall? And since when did his shoulders get broader? Didn't they use to be the same height? Now he was a full head taller than her. Wow. The changes people went through in two years…

 _'Have I changed at all…?'_

Erina finally skidded to a stop, dragging Yukihira-kun down with her.

"Huh? What's the hold up?"

The red-headed chef also came to a stop, only the momentum still pushed him a bit before he turned around with quizzical eyes on her. Erina just stared at him. Really stared. She saw the way his brows dipped with concern and he blinked at her in confusion. He stepped towards her and tilted his head downwards to get a better look at her, probably trying to read her emotions. Knowing him, he would take a lot longer to figure it out, or never. Her heart echoed in her ears and her bottom lip found her teeth. The more he stared at her, she more she felt her cheeks heat up. There were so many things different about the boy standing in front of her and at the same time, so many things that remained the same. He was still the same stupid, dense, second-rate, uncouth, rule-breaking chef. But he possessed a vitality and life in him that outshone everything else in her world. It grew with each day. The chaos he brought shook up her sleepy and stagnant existence as if shouting 'Hey! Wake up! There's so much out there to discover!'That was exactly what happened. Yukihira-kun showed her a world of flavours and inspiration beyond her cold and lonely fortress and she had been too up-herself to realise it. Now she couldn't get enough of it. She craved the moments he made a breakthrough or discovered something new to try and do. She looked forward to the times she herself made discovers on her own. Just so that she could revel in the feeling that was Yukihira Souma.

She changed. She never wanted to go back to the life she had before.

 _'To think a few years ago, I agonised over the realisation of loving this idiot… And now… it just makes sense'_

"Oh _Kami-sama_. You're smiling. Who's grave are we gonna dig? Not mine r-right"

The scuff of his shoes skating away from her made her want to sigh and hit him over the head. Yep. Still and idiot. But at least an idiot who had some sense of what passive aggression could look like. Erina looked up and her accused smile only softened.

 **"** **Thank you"**

"What for?"

 **"** **For being you"**

 **.**

 _ **.**_

 ** _Again and again_ / _Thank you_**  
 **Boku wo mitsukete kureta kimi ni / i say**  
 **"Deaete yokatta" tte ne**  
 **Uta ni shita naraba ieru / _Thank you_**  
 **Itoshiki hibi no mainichi ga kimi to waratte bakari datta**  
 ** _I say_ _thank you_**

 ** _Thank you, thank you_ _, lemme say I_ _thank you_**  
 ** _Thank you, thank you_ , korekara mo zutto**  
 ** _Thank you, thank you_ _, lemme say I_ _thank you_**  
 ** _Thank you, thank you_ , yoroshiku ne / _I_ _thank you_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

Alice spread her fingers wider into the air, feeling the fast winds whip through her locks and lash at her skin until it turned pink. How things have changed in the few short weeks. Take the sakura trees for instance. A couple of weeks back, it was a wiry tangle of last season growth. The twigs and long branches were skeletal and bare, burdened by the snow. Now those perfect silky hearts fluttered down as gentle rain. Already Spring had pushed back against winter with moderate temperatures and brought the kind of gentle breeze one wouldn't notice unless one stopped to be present in the moment. Alice stretched out her fingers from the car window again and caught one of those silky pink petals. They were cooler than she expected and smoother too. She let go and watched it flutter past her at rapid speeds to chase after its own kin.

"Where did you send Kurokiba this time"

The soft rumble of Byakko's voice only made her smile wider.

"Homeless shelter"

"…"

"I'm kidding. I'm not putting him up for adoption, if that's what you're thinking. He discovered he wanted to teach kids, so I sent him off to a place where I know the kids would appreciate what he's got to offer… assuming he doesn't make them shit their pants first. I know, I know! His face scares off adults twice his size, but he never forgets that he once lived in a rough ghetto Danish pub when he was a little kid. He had to fend for himself like an adult in a dog-eat-dog seaport. He wants to do something like teach cooking to kids who also don't have much in the way of life. Just like him. So, that they don't have to go through as much adversity as he did"

"He never said that"

"Okay, Okay, you got me! He didn't. He said there's too much butthurt in Tootsuki and Nakiri International so he wanted to go somewhere there's peace and quiet, and be useful to people who need it"

"I never saw him as being altruistic"

"Everyone's changed, Byakko" she giggled.

He smirked in response.

"I suggested he explore teaching disadvantaged kids"

"So, you sent him to that place, huh"

"Yep!"

She'd live. He had a life of his own and she couldn't very well keep mothering him. She wasn't his mother of course, she considered him as her brother. A very obedient and subservient brother. Ryou-kun had been in his own funk for a couple of weeks after graduation. He had no plans to start his own restaurant, nor did he want to work in another person's restaurant. He was a lost and frustrated dog, trying to sniff his way back home after being dumped in the woods. She couldn't believe her ears and told him not to be so stupid. But when he had turned around and gave her one of his defiant looks, she knew she lost the battle before it even began. He was going and could do nothing. Ryou-kun for once was thinking about himself and leaving her side to pursue his own goals. He was leaving the nest! Alice had thrown a huge tantrum and even threatened to call _Moder_ to cut off his allowance. She knew she was behaving like a cow, but couldn't stand losing her best friend, even for just a moment.

 _'But not as much as a cow as Uncle Azami'_

Urgh. She didn't want to think about that monster-cow right now. She was here with just Byakko, so forget about him! She hadn't had a moment's rest since graduation. Everything was go, go, go. She had such huge plans for herself! Nakiri International had scored a partnership with the world's greatest molecular gastronomy- chef. Her idol who pioneered multi-sensory cooking, food-pairing and flavour encapsulation. The great chef had chosen Nakiri International to help him develop food for British astronauts who would be eating in zero-gravity environments such as the IS: International Space-station. It was about time scientists from the European Space Agency canned freeze-dried, vacuumed-packed tasteless meals. She couldn't fathom the millions of British pounds it costs to deliver gross food to the astronauts. Those brave and hard-working men and women deserved home-comfort-food when they were stuck out in space. Nakiri Alice had a vision. They were going to be Nakiri Inter _stellar!_ It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she couldn't wait to show the British Team her skills! Of course _Moder_ and _Fader_ were more than happy for her to internally apply for internship with the elite team of scientific chefs, lead by the one and only...

...Heston Blumenthal.

And she got it!

She would be staying in _Danmark_ for seasons at a time. Alice sighed. She was going to miss Japan. She would miss Ryou-kun, Erina and _Ojii-sama_. Most of all she would miss Byakko. But they would make their long distant relationship work. if other people could do it, so could they. After all they've been through, she felt no expanse of sea or land would ever waver her feelings for the boy who'd leaned against her pedestal by accident, and toppled her back to Earth. The fact that he was still fierce in his affections for her after all the pain she had pulled him through, she was sure that Byakko wouldn't let go of his feelings for her so easily either. Alice was confident now that _Moder_ had put a stop to _Fader's_ nasty plans to get rid of Byakko, she and Byakko would be free to make their relationship to be whatever they want it to be. The sky's the limit!

"Physiotherapy specialising in sports injury suits you" Alice hummed. She rubbed the pad of her thumbs against his knuckles.

"You think so?"

"Yep. But I still think being a professional soccer player would've been great for you too. It's not too late, you still have yet to answer Halilhodžić-san from _Sakkā Nippon Daihyō's offer to play for them_ "

Byakko smirked. Clearly, he liked the idea of the National Japanese Football Team chasing after him.

"For a pretty long time I _did_ want to be a professional footballer. But after looking into it, it's such a short-lived career. Being a physiotherapist to professional athletes is pretty cool too. If it doesn't work out, I could go with you to Denmark and try out for the Denmark National Football Team"

Alice giggled " _Danmarks fodboldlandshold_ would be lucky to have you"

Hmm. We're here"

The car slowed down to the side of the rode before taking a dramatic dip off-road into the spring meadow that laid from all sides as far as the eyes could see. It was a glorious expanse of grass and wild flowers, with the grass gently rustling in the breeze. There was a narrow brook flowing through it choked with weeds too. Tall water-mint and pale lilac flowers, like dozens of tiny bells were growing at the edge. Seeing those cute blossoms made her want to run her fingers through Byakko's own silky lilac locks. It had been ages since she'd been to the countryside to enjoy the natural peace and wonder! The car bounded up and down on the uneven soil until her boyfriend pulled to a stop beside a large and towering tree in the middle of the sea of green. He had told her that he knew of had often driven here with Ayame-chan and Namikaze-chan when they wanted to escape the city life.

Alice opened the door and stretched out her legs, popping out the stiff kinks. She was mindful of pulling her dress a bit to keep the breeze from blowing up her legs and giving her chills in places that shouldn't be chilly! The car momentarily shifted its weight as Byakko climbed out too. Alice turned around and opened the other door to grab the picnic basket she prepared and Byakko popped open the boot to get the picnic mat, the drinks and…

His guitar

Alice giggled like a rabid fangirl, catching a brief, nervous smirk from Byakko. This was going to be the best outing ever!

"Oh this place is gorgeous!" Alice inhaled the air. "Let's sit over here so we can see the brook"

Byakko hummed in approval and dropped a kiss onto her head as he walked past. Alice smiled. She looped her arm under the handles of the picnic blanket with her left arm, and with her right arm, she hooked it around Byakko's left arm before he got too far away. Her boyfriend leaned in close to her to peck her on the forehead as well and Alice couldn't help but reach onto the tips of her toes to meet his lips part way. She noticed he didn't bring out his jacket. Wasn't he cold? Byakko wore a thick pair of Jeans and just a simple v-neck t-shirt and white cardigan. Not even a scarf! His hair was pulled into a rugged half pony-tail leaving his long fringes to whip around his refined face. His eyes shined with amusement and it really seemed he was at peace with her. Alice's heart blossomed in her chest to see Byakko this way. She had never felt luckier to be by his side. Her tall and aloof other half who never failed to amaze her with his quite nature and no-bullshit words.

Alice chose the perfect spot and plopped down the picnic basket in the soft grass, took the roll of picnic mat from Byakko and spread it down at the foot of the majestic tree. Once she finished smoothing it out, Byakko settled himself crossed legged onto one half and she kneeled on the other.

"I've made some special bentou's today which I know you're just going to love. Western style ones. First, I have the scallops with cabbage, dill and buttermilk bentou. Then I have the bitter greens, spring onions and salted mackeral vinaigerette bentou. Honey caviar, Fourme d'Ambert and black tea bentou. I know they sound weird, but trust me, they're good!" Alice laughed as she took out beautiful and ornate boxes, one after the other from the basket and opened the lid to showcase Byakko her creations.

He sat there with one elbow on his knee and rested his chin into his open palm, his back hunched over like a lazy eagle. He had a delicate eyebrow quirked up and a half smile played on his lips.

"Got Karaage bentou in there?"

Oh no he didn't.

"Hmph! I went through a lot of effort designing these special bentou using cutting edge molecular gastronomy techniques and you just want fried chicken?" Alice huffed at him, puffing her cheeks out.

That only made him smirk at her with heated delight dancing in his piercing hazel orbs. Blast him for his mocking silence! Her quick-fire indignation dissolved in a heartbeat when he innocently tilted his head at her. Alice blushed under his intense gaze. Suddenly he reached over to her, bringing his larger body forward. She held her breath, not knowing what he was doing but her skin and lips tingled with anticipation. She inhaled his smothering pine and grassy scent when his warmth was right at her face. She could also smell the sinful deodorant he was wearing too. He knew his deodorant made her knees weak! His long arm brushed past her to pluck two peaches from inside the basket with one hand. His long and slender fingers easily clasped around the two plump peaches with ease, demonstrating the strength and dexterity of each digit… The soft and fuzzy fruit was suddenly pressed into her cheeks and she gasped feeling the cold temperature. Byakko leaned back and shifted in his position to rest his back against the smooth bark of the great tree they were under. His eyes still haven't left hers as he made himself comfortable again.

"Still a bit early for lunch, let's just relax a bit" he said.

Alice snatched the peaches from his hand.

"If you are going to have some nibbles first, at least let me cut them so you don't get juices everywhere" Alice giggled.

Score one for Alice! She balanced the second peach between her knees and took out a small plate and paring knife from the basket and started peeling and slicing the plump fruits with expert skill, the juices not getting as messy as an amateur. Meanwhile Byakko acquiesced and proceeded to tune his acoustic guitar. It was a quick work. She could hear him attach his finger picks and final the soft rhythmic melodies wafted to her and it was so relaxing. The tones were rich and full, exhibiting the consistent practices Byakko kept up with learning the instrument alongside soccer. The sweet refrain of the acoustic spoke a musical language to her soul. He could make the guitar sing to him. It was his slave and he was its master. Just like her heart was a slave to him and his was to hers. The strumming sound had a hypnotic soothing quality that she craved. To lose herself to the melody of the guitar was her idea of a heavenly morning.

Alice lifted her ruby-red eyes momentarily to watch his metal finger picks manipulate the strings to his unwavering command. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. His long fingers looked so enticing as it plucked each nylon string carefully and deliberately and she suddenly had the desire for his fingers to pluck something else within her. The feeling of warmth settled in her belly and knowing desire flushed through her senses.

Kuchiyose Byakko was a beautiful boy.

Inside and outside.

Fate brought him back into her life and she couldn't be anymore grateful.

"Look who's dripping juices now"

Alice blinked and looked down, not before catching his hazel eyes looking at her as if he knew something she didn't. She freaked out at how close the droplets were about to land on her clothes and she hurriedly lifted her hand and licked up the juices escaping between down her wrist, not wanting to ruin her bespoke Burberry dress. Phew that was close! The tingling sensation of avid eyes didn't leave her and it she found it hard to swallow. Wait… Byakko would normally chuckle or snort right about now and would go back to doing whatever he was doing… so why was he still smirking at her as if waiting for her to do or say something? Hold on a minute… when he said 'dripping juices' he meant the peaches right?

It clicked.

 _'Oh Byakko_ … _you fiend'_

"It's not my fault you were distracting… " she muttered in her best sultry voice.

She watched him neither look away or shy away from her statement. Byakko lifted the strap of his guitar over himself and set it aside. His toned biceps flexed and tensed as his broad shoulders managed to take up the strap all in one go. She was shocked to see him lean forward and take the fruit that was once between her knees, but had already rolled down to her thighs. His deep hazel eyes sucked her in, not letting go. He didn't pick up the fruit by the sides, but rather she could feel his long fingers slide under the fruit… dangerously close to her… has he gently lifted it, letting his trim nails graze against the heated fabric of her dress. Her heart lurched in her ribcage to see him eye her and take a bite out of the peach.

Her stomach quivered at the sound of his bite. She had to say something intelligent before he could see how messed up she was feeling on the inside.

"I-I'm already cutting this one for you…"

"I want to eat the one between your legs" he nodded towards her still parted knees.

Alice choked on her saliva.

With shaking hands, she finally finished slicing her peach with as much grace as she could muster, and wiped herself off with the napkin, ridding herself of the sticky juices. She calmed herself and moved her body closer to his, watching as he simply sat staring back at her. Never had she wanted another boy as badly as she wanted this one. Even his silences and glances were enough to leave her wanting. She looked him square in the eyes and leaned in until she could feel his warm breath washing over.

 **"** I love you"she whispered.

It was like time was completely blown out of proportion. She was about to open her mouth to say something more but her lips froze when soft thin lips were on hers faster than she could comprehend. The texture of his kissing appendages registered as well as the sound of the peach dropping over his shoulders onto the earth before she dived into ecstasy. Her eyes fluttered closed and she covered the rest of the distance from their bodies by threading her fingers into his soft lilac hair. His fingers grabbed at her waist and the other under her thigh to lift her into his lap to straddle him. She pushed closer to him as his nails trailed hungrily up and down her sides, pushing past her cardigan and the straps of her dress to get closer to her skin. Alice allowed his tongue to dance with hers and plundered her riches. He nipped at her tongue, causing her to gasp and clinch her thighs together to feel the proof of his want for her growing between them. A rough groan came from between his lips as he leaned forward, causing her to latch her arms around his neck to stop her from falling backwards. He pulled his lips from her, torturously slow.

 **"Thank you for still loving me"**

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 ** _Again and again_ _/_ _thank you_ _  
Boku wo mitsuketekureta kimi ni /_ _i say_ _  
"Deaete yokatta" tte ne  
Uta ni shita naraba ieru / __thank_ _you_ _  
Itoshiki hibi no mainichi ga kimi to waratte bakari datta  
_ _I say_ _thank you_**

 ** _Thank you, thank you_ _, lemme say I_ _thank you_ _  
_ _Thank you, thank you_ _, korekara mo zutto  
_ _Thank you, thank you_ _, lemme say I_ _thank you_ _  
_ _Thank you, thank you_ _, yoroshiku ne /_ _I_ _thank you_**

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

Something soft, warm and oily lightly pressed against her face. Her cheek turned towards the intriguing morsel. But she kept her eyes on her phone screen, wanting to finish reading the news article the media vomited onto her social media page like a loyal slave to technology. It moved away. Her mouth parted on its own and leaned to the left on auto polite to follow the cheeky bugger. Her eyes remained glued to the screen, entrusting that her rooting reflexes won't let the treat slip away. It moved away again. A miniscule amount of tension flitted across her muscle at the surprise. Her body and head started moving on in sync and started reaching towards where the delectable morsel was sneaking away like a thief in the night. Her attention remained steadfast on the juicy piece of internet news and her eyeballs were straining with the effort to grip onto the scandalous article. Somewhere in the periphery of her awareness, she could feel her body successfully closing in on the evasive and oily snack.

Suddenly a pair of warm lips were on hers…

 _WHERE THE FUCK WAS HER CHIVE DUMPLING!?_

 _"Kuga-kun!"_

Chizuru ripped her lips away from his. Her cheeks fired up in offense as Terunori Kuga dangled the thick dumpling in front of her face before plopping it into his mouth. The ire intensified when he leaned back in and pecked her again on the lips, his covered in a thin sheen of sesame oil. Chizuru sat there flabbergasted that she fell for that trick for the billionth time. Urgh! Why was he always taking advantage of her distraction just to steal kisses right from under her nose? He had a sick sense of humour. Mirth danced in his brown eyes as he grinned at her like a child who successfully snuck the cookie from the jar. Despite being older than her by a year, he still acted like a spoiled five-year-old.

"Two points to the great Terunori Kuga-sama!" he chuckled. "You're leaving yourself too open again. What's kept your attention from your awesome boyfriend?"

"Azami. Some journalist says that he is most likely going to get acquitted for the murder, but will be found guilty for the other crimes he committed" said Chizuru, rolling her eyes at him.

She reached over other side for the plate of chive dumplings but it suddenly slid beyond her reach, courtesy of the piece of shit next to her.

"You…" she growled.

"Kiss first" he tapped his lips and wiggled his brows at her.

"You've already got one"

"Another" he demanded childishly

"Fine, you over grown baby"

Chizuru swivelled in her seat and leaned forward, sliding her lips against his softly. He sought her like a magnet. She was tentative at first because she didn't appreciate his teasing, but it quickly melted into a chaste and tender one. She felt his calloused fingers slip up her jawline and then into the back of her head a he deepened it further. He tasted of the saltiness of the soya sauce and his tongue slipped into her mouth to play with her hers and swiped them across her teeth. The spicy chilli flakes generously sprinkled on their snack made her mouth burn deliciously and salivate, and her tongue tingle with adventure. Damn he was a good kisser and she was a sucker for it. Her insides bubbled and her hot breath was sucked from her lungs into his mouth. But she only had the dumplings in mind, but damn her if she wasn't going to get him back for baiting her with them.

Chizuru had an idea and lightly moaned into the kiss where she felt him already shiver in excitement. She pushed against him and lightly placed her hand onto his thigh, stroking his skin through the fabric of his jeans. Up, down, up, down. The hands that were in her hair instantly travelled down her neck, to her shoulder, the down her arms before landing on her waist to pull her to him. She could feel his fingers fidgeting as he started to tense and untense them against the dip in her waist, playing with the hem of her shirt. Chizuru's tingling spine opened a channel of excitement and she sighed against his hungry kiss, as he started bending her backwards, trying to kiss her harder.

Then she shoved him back.

Kuga-kun opened his eyes and blinked stupidly, his lips plumped and puckered as Chizuru danced away from him with the plate of dumplings in hand. Her malicious grin played on her lips, which were also still red and sensitive from Kuga-kun's work.

 _"Chizu-chin…"_ he rasped in warning.

She bit her lips and smiled coyly at him. Kuga-kun's lion-like eyes narrowed at her and his nostrils flared at her antics. His hands fisted and the muscles in his shoulders bunched up, not appreciating that she was getting him all worked up for nothing. Tit for tat. He was so funny when he was aroused and cock-blocked. It was easy to get him into that state as well. All she really needed to do was give him a bit of sugar and it was enough for him to pounce on her. She could already see him itching to wrap his arms around her and never let her go until he got what he wanted.

"You mess with the bull, you get the horns" Chizuru shrugged and bit into a succulent dumpling. She ran her tongue across her bottom lip, watching his eyes tracking her tongues movement as well.

Before she knew it, Kuga-kun shot forward and his face was buried in her hair. Chizuru muffled her shriek at his brazen display in the VERY PUBLIC WINDOW SEAT OF THE CHINESE CAFÉ and the chastising that was about to spill out of her. The only thing stopping her was the desire to not attract attention and drop the plate of dumpling. Sharp pain stabbed into the shell of her ear as her boyfriend bit her on the cartiledge, not letting go without a growl of warning. The low timbre made her shudder and squeeze her eyes shut.

 _"Same here. And I've got BIG horns"_

Chizuru's stomach flipped from the cheesiness and the tingling in her lower belly. She didn't need reminding there…

"Stop it, we're in a public place!" she hissed at him.

That didn't deter him as she felt his lips attack her jugular next and a moan escaped her after hearing the vibrational sounds he was making. Screw him and his lack of appropriate behaviour! He pulled away and she could already feel the sting of a hickey forming on the side of her neck. Her bastard of a boyfriend leaned back with a shit-eating grin as he surveyed her flushed expression and rosey cheeks. His arrogance and haughtiness only increased during the time they were dating. It felt like a lifetime ago that his punk-ass midget was just an over-bearing pain in her butt. Stalking her in her workplace and never leaving her a moment's peace for every shift at the second-hand bookstore. The loud parrot never made her afternoons boring at least and it probably sweetened the deal that he was almost always delivering her _Sichuan_ meals for her after school munchies, or dragging her out somewhere to discover the hidden food dens of Karakura Honchou. If somebody asked her how they got together, she would reply that he wore her down, like the ocean waves beating against the cliff face until it crumbled. His persistence and perseverance was steadfast for months and months, as if the only girl he ever saw as a source of his fun was her. She did end up bending to him because… yeah, he was cute when he wanted to be... and fun. It didn't help that stolen kisses, fleeting touches, heavily loaded banters and impromptu make out sessions in the backroom of the shop left her wanting more of him, and his cheeky and feisty side that only she seemed to bring out in their intimate moments.

The budding feeling grew slowly at first, and before she knew it, she fell in love with him.

 _SNAP!_

Kuga-kun snapped his fingers and the waiter appeared.

"Hi, how can I help you?" he said in broken Japanese.

Kuga-kun seemed to hesitate for a moment and Chizuru looked on with curiosity.

「再来点茶。」said Kuga-kun.

"…"

"…"

What. Just. Happened.

Chizuru flipped her head from spiky-haired boy to the young waiter who was equally just as shocked to be hearing… _Chinese?_ From her boyfriend. Her brained tried to loop the sound bite over and over so that she could remember exactly what sounds he was using and whether or not her ears were just malfuctioning. Suddenly the waiter's shocked face morphed into relief as he hastily scribbled onto the order pad.

「是的你可以。」said the young waiter.

「我要虾肉饺子和肉包。」replied Kuga-kun.

The waiter finished writing and deposited his pad into his apron pockets.

「您的餐点稍后到。」he said.

「谢谢。」Kuga-kun grunted with a solid salute.

Chizuru watched as the waiter power-walked back to the kitchen and she continued staring at the kitchen doors swinging to and fro. Dumb founded, she reached over for the teapot sitting across from her and lifted it, only to realise it was gone and she just grasped air. She turned back around and was met by the nonchalant face of Terunori Kuga flipping through messages on his phone as he leaned back onto the seat with his arms draped over the back of her own seat.

"You… you can speak _Chinese?"_ Chizuru gasped.

"Mandarin"

"Since when did you know Mandarin?"

"We've been dating for more than a year and you never knew I speak Mandarin too, Chizu-chin?" He looked up at her with almost-genuine surprise.

Hell no she didn't! He knew very well that she had no clue that he could speak Mandarin and how dare the little piece of shit have the gall to look _surprised_. She fought the urge to grab his roguishly cute rounded cheeks and pull them like bread-dough until he begged for mercy. He never told her and nor had she ever seen him speak it! Chizuru face-palmed and groaned. The sadistic chuckle beside her grated on her nerves, but a wry smile found its way onto her lips. Here he was again, toying with her and she was once again the butt of one of his other pranks, or jokes, or whatever it was.

She could never have a normal date with Terunori Kuga.

"Was it something I was supposed to ask and find out?!"

"Uh… Yeah?"

"Forget it. How do you say _'I'm going to fucking murder you'_ , in Mandarin?" asked Chizuru sweetly, cracking her knuckles.

He leaned in and pecked her on the nose.

「我爱你。」

"You're fucking with me again, aren't you"

Chizuru jabbed her fingers into his waist, knowing that he was obviously trying to make her say something else to him instead.

"What did you say to the waiter, anyway?"

"I said, the she-hobbit with the short-temper wanted more tea, dumplings and pork buns" he gloated with his lop-sided grin. "Hey, when are you going to introduce me to your parents?" asked Kuga-kun suddenly.

"Wha-ha?"

That caught her off guard. Why the sudden curve-ball topic? Chizuru gulped. Kuga-kun firmly held onto her finger which was still softly digging into his flesh. He started to stroke her fingers with his thumb as he eased it back down onto his lap, not letting her pull back. He leaned his elbow onto the table and smirked gently at her, his eyes raised sardonically at her in expectation for a proper answer his inescapable question.

"U-Uh… N-Not yet. I don't think they're ready to meet the heir of the House of Terunori, millionaires to a global chain of spicy food restaurants" she coated her words in poorly executed sarcasticasm, wriggling her fingers in his calloused hands and fiddling with her phone in the other.

He leaned forward and plopped his chin on her shoulder, reading her screen as well while he let go of her captive fingers and hooked his arm over her other shoulder. His hand snaked down her arm like a warm blanket until he reached her wrist. He started playing with the sleeve of her jacket.

"I introduced you to my family already~" he whined in her ear.

"Your old Research Society is _not_ your family"

"They call you 'big sister'"

"That's because they are Chinese mafia wannabes"

Her shoulders were instantly light and cold as Kuga-kun flounced into the opposite direction. Oh great. Now he was sulking. She rolled her eyes and brushed her fringe from her face. She turned around to see him hunched over his folded arms and pouting in the opposite direction. Urgh… could he be any more dramatic? Yes, he could, so she was grateful he at least wasn't wailing about, just like the one time last year when she was too embarrassed to hold hands with him public, he dived down to her feet and started bawling his eyes out with crocodile tears, causing passerbys to halt and gawk. He had started childishly accusing her for the whole world to hear, that she was a cold-hearted girlfriend who tortured him with her frigid love. His shamelessness was breath-taking. She had ended up having to grab both his hands, haul him up and had dragged him down the street before they were front and centre of the local gossip. Oh, that self-satisfying smile of his afterwards deserved a slap. She hadn't let go of his hand for the rest of the day.

But this time, Kuga-kun genuinely looked disappointed. He had a hardened faraway glazed look in his brown eyes and even his spiky hair seemed to wilt. His lips were a thin line and his face was devoid of any of the cheeky and happiness he had earlier and was as stiff as the cliff-face. She felt a twinge in her heart and something she wasn't ready to admit as guilt yet. She dropped her phone back into her bag. She sidled up closer to him hoping to gain some sort of reaction. Nothing. The twist in her chest grew tighter.

"Kuga-kun?"

He snorted.

Chizuru bit her lip.

"How about this weekend… you can meet my parents" she caved in. She honestly didn't like to see him looking so despondent.

"This weekend?"

"Yeah. You free?"

"Let me think about it"

 _'Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm'_

Chizuru turned the stove down to stop herself from boiling over. She was this close to clobbering him with the salt and pepper shaker on the café bench. Fuck guilt. Then again there was the nagging in the back of her mind that Kuga-kun deserved an explanation… This wasn't the first time he asked to meet her parents. It was going to happen sooner or later and the frequency of him asking her was increasing. She had prayed for later. Ever since she agreed to start dating him he was telling every man and his dog about her! It was so embarrassing! Ayame-chan, Kuchiyose-kun, _Mario_ and _Luigi_ , his whole year group, his whole Research Society, Yukihira-kun, Isshiki-san, his other ex-elite ten mates, Polar Star Dorm when he ran into them… it was… cringe. She mistook the pure joy from him that whacked her in the face as triumph and was almost offended that he treated her like a trophy to be won. But gradually she came to realise that he was just simply happy, proud and pleased that she didn't actually hate his guts as much as she had lead him to believe. He wanted to show her off to the world, was what Ayame-chan said. His personality was both intoxicating and annoying, but she didn't have the heart to just trample on his parade and tell him to shut his disgustingly huge trap. For some reason, agreeing to go out with the bouncy ball of over-confident energy meant he had permission to get all touchy-feeling whenever he wanted to be near her. Boy, did she fix that… before he popped her personal bubble again… There was a lot of touching, hugging, kissing involved and Chizuru had a hard time getting over that because she didn't like… touching people. _'Never say die'_ was his middle name and again, he wore her down and… kissing and hugging Terunori Kuga… wasn't so bad.

Chizuru shuffled her feet.

"I know we've been… I mean… _I've_ been avoiding talking about meeting parents and all that… But the reason is b-because… I don't know if I was ready for it. This is new to me. The Y-you and me… d-dating… couples… thing"

"We've been together for _over_ a year and your parents still don't know I exist"

"That's not true!" Chizuru jumped out of her seat and turned to face him fully.

Panic filled her as Kuga-kun stared at her coolly from beneath his thick lashes, his usual cheeky and mischievous personality was gone. He was now giving her his 'Grumpy Cat' impression. It was starting to make her feel severely uncomfortable and she had to do something to make everything all normal again, otherwise _he was going to continue being a pain in the arse._ She frowned and averted her eyes, pressing her finger tips together to figure out what she should say. Chizuru never had a boyfriend in her life, let alone knew any who fancied her. The inescapable insecurity of being together with a rich kid with above average looks, and a prestigious name was a bit more than she could handle at first. Comparing to her, he had to be the type whom his parents would arrange marriages for, most likely with a little lady from a respectable family with equal status.

He had his life all set up for him, where he was managing and is head chef to _The_ _Lion's Den_ in Ikebukuro _._ One of the many high-class _Sichuan_ styled restaurants across Japan belonging to the Terunori family. And her? She was still deciding if she wanted to study to be a video games designer in University or take a gap year to go travelling and work a bit before returning to study.

Then there were her parents were just normal working class citizens making a day's living. The epitome of blandness. Nobody worth batting an eyelash at in his gold-plated corner of the world. Those little ladies from his social class were the types whom she butted heads with all the time. She didn't have anything wonderful about her except her perchant for gaming and trouble, and her ability to read the subtext (which to her horror was dwindling over time the more she met over-complicated chefs). In the looks department? Eh… she tried. His parents were overseas managing their many restaurants over the world to really notice what their son was doing, but he had reassured her that _'mummy'_ and _'daddy'_ loved him to bits and so whatever he was happy with, they _have_ to be happy with too. He had never sounded more spoilt in that declaration. Maybe it was his spoilt nature that made him so God-damned persistent in chasing after her, and refusing to take her repeated 'no, fuck off' for an answer.

"I-I talk about y-you… to my parents" she murmured.

"Uh huh"

He shifted in front of her until he also swivelled around to face her straight on. He leaned back and rested his elbow on the back of his chair a slow, cocky grin started to form on his face. His regal posture as an ex-elite ten member of Tootsuki challenged her like it always did.

"Did you tell them I'm hot?"

Chizuru slumped her shoulders. Really…? They were doing this now? She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I said, if you were a super-famous singer, I'd buy mosh-pit tickets to your concert so that I could throw my bra and panties at you"

"'Cause I'm hot?"

"'Cause you're hot"

Her lips fought to burst into a laugh and he was in the same state. She willed herself not to be first to break character but the dam erupted and she was full of giggles and unbecoming snorts. Her hands went up to cover her mouth from snorting out mucous from keeping in her laugh so strongly and soon Kuga-kun joined into with a muffled guffaw of his own. She couldn't deny they had something special going that there was nothing in the world that could compare to the happiness and annoyance she felt for the _Sichuan_ chef. He was an oxymoron that just meshed well. He was an unbearable spoilt brat, but he was _hers._ She wondered what her life would've been like if he never looked her way again after his first rejection.

Stagnant and hella boring. She couldn't stand hella boring.

"One more thing" said Chizuru, catching her breath "I should say **thank you** **for putting up with me – AHH! MMMPH?!"**

She was silenced by a hard and fast kiss.

"You had me at bra and panties~"

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Kisetsu ha megutteiku kedo**_  
 _ **Kawaranai mono ga kono te ni hitotsu**_  
 _ **"Well just you and you and you"**_  
 _ **Kimi no warau egao ga mitai kara**_  
 _ **Mata arukidaseru n da**_

 _ **Again and again / Thank you**_  
 _ **Boku wo mitsuketekureta kimi ni / I say**_  
 _ **"Deaete yokatta" tte ne**_  
 _ **Uta ni shita naraba ieru / thank you**_  
 _ **Itoshiki hibi no mainichi ga kimi to waratte bakari datta**_  
 _ **I say thank you**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _"Hurry, hurry! There's only five minutes left to the end of the class. I don't want to miss out!"_

 _"Come on, we might make it in time to see!"_

"Excuse me! No running in the corridors! Class is still in session even though it's the end of semester!"

The first-year girls stumbled at Hisako's command. They turned around and hastily apologised with frantic bows at her. They were young, but not too young as to not obey the school rules. No running in the corridor. Clear and simple! Her shoulder was still smarting from being pushed so rudely by those careless and inconsiderate girls as they were stampeding past her. They had to have seen her up ahead, and yet they didn't slow down. What was the big idea anyway? She tapped her foot finding satisfaction in seeing their fearful eyes trying not to meet her simmering ones.

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Don't let me catch you running in the hallways like that again. Go back to class and reflect on your actions"

"Yes!"

They spun around and high-tailed it out of there, power walking as fast as their legs could take them. Hisako harrumphed as they disappeared around the corner. She knew they were going to break out into a sprint as soon as she lost sight of them anyway. Really! No decorum at all! Why were first year students treating the school as if it was some sort of playground where they could just run around wherever and whenever they liked? Hisako shook her head and resumed her phone conversation.

"Sorry Aoi-sama. I had to discipline a few students"

 _"I hope you weren't too harsh, Arato-san. Remember, you were a student just like they are"_

Hisako walked slowly down the corridor reflecting on Aoi-sama's piece of wisdom. Ever since he was transferred to be the new Director of Tootsuki, Aoi Mitsuki, the renowned pastry chef was chosen by the board to manage Tootsuki Resort in Doujima-sama's place. She didn't know a lot about what he was like, as he was known to keep to himself a lot. However, she heard he was a well known pastry chef in France who was a good friend of Chef Chapelle.

Hisako looked outside towards the beautiful _sakura_ trees. The same trees she and Erina-sama took photos with on their graduation day. Too bad her destination was in one of the school buildings. She would have loved to take a detour out in the courtyard just to enjoy the warm spring day. The lazy wind pushed against the shrubs like a child sending the dandelion seeds on their way: one o'clock, two o'clock, three. Above the white wisps trail and the spring sun brought a welcoming warmth that coated Hisako as good as caramel over harvest apples. The clock in the hallway said it was ten minutes to noon. Maybe later she would take a relaxing stroll through the school for memory sake. After all, she wouldn't be by Erina-sama's side anymore. She made a decision.

Hisako turned down the corner the two girls had disappeared to.

"I accept the offer Aoi-sama. I want to intern at Tootsuki Resort" she said resolutely.

"Are you sure, Arato-san? As a new graduate, thinks will be tough and you will be expected to hit the ground running"

She paused

No! She made her choice! It was by Erina-sama's inspiration that she should leave the nest. All her life, she wanted to be by Erina-sama's side and serve her until the end of time. Her love for her charge and undying respect for her courage and charisma was what kept her together with the Nakiri family. As the years went by she had been… distracted by many things and many people. All of a sudden, being by Erina-sama's side lost its priority in her, especially when it was announced that Yukihira Souma would be working with the golden haired Nakiri in establishing a training programming for students whose growth as a chef were severely stunted by Erina's father's ways. She couldn't think of a better way for this to work. Those two were basically made for each other in their odd and chaotic way. Yukihira-kun was the dreamer, whereas Erina-sama was the realist. One would think the dreamers would find the dreamers and the realists would find the realists, as it turned out that wasn't strictly true. The dreamers needed the realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun, and the reaslists… well, without the dreamers, their feet would never leave the ground. That was why Erina-sama and Yukihira-kun would make an unstoppable team in the cooking world.

… as well as in their private life…

"Yes, absolutely"

 _"Excellent. Welcome aboard Arato-san. I'll have my people send you the information package by the end of business today. Training will start on 21_ _st_ _July. So please take the opportunity to go through with the health check, police check and finalise any documents outlined in the information package and have it prepared for your first day"_ said Aoi-sama

"Y-Yes, sir"

 _"Excellent. And another thing, Arato-san"_

"Yes?"

 _"Nakiri Erina is very proud of you"_

Hisako stopped.

 _"When my recruitment team interviewed you, they also called up Tootsuki for a reference and character check on the same day. They were put through to Nakiri Erina. She said that you were beyond competent and the most reliable aide she has had the pleasure of working with. Your management and communication skills are outstanding and your cooking skills are exemplary. She said that you are a very resourceful and a good problem-solver, and you are a keen learner and always looks to improve your skills and broaden your horizons"_

Feeling shell-shocked was an understatement.

 _"She also said to them that if I didn't hire you, then I'm an idiot"_

"S-She said that?!" Hisako stuttered. She hung onto her phone for dear life.

 _"Yes, Arato-san. She has great faith in you and she obviously sees that keeping you by her side will hinder your future success. You were made to be more than just an aide and a chef. Letting you go to explore, expand, and continuing to learn about yourself and the world with your cooking skills is a worthy investment"_

Hisako had to fight to keep her tears at bay and she trembled all over. Erina-sama said all those things about her. About HER. Hisako had never felt so moved in her life. She couldn't fail Erina-sama. She couldn't dishonour her best friend and mistress, now that she knew she meant so much to her. Erina-sama even went as far as to say Aoi Mitsuki's name and _idiot_ in the same sentence. Hisako wouldn't let her down on _herself_ down.

The soft chattering of students grew louder as she entered the classroom sections of the building. She could catch bits and pieces of students shouting instructions and ingredients from one end and the voice for some lecturer down the other.

"I-I see… well then. I will get all my documentation back to human resources as soon as—"

Her heart stopped.

Everything muted.

She dropped her hand to her side.

 _"Hello? Arato-san?"_

It was distant, but she could _definitely_ hear it.

 _"_ … _Are there any questions_ … _Nope? Movin' on then_ … _"_

There was no way she _wouldn't_ hear it.

One foot forward… other foot forward… one footstep ahead of the other, and she was suddenly flying down the end of the corridor to the last lecture theatre. The class windows blurred into a mess of colours as she concentrated only on the classroom at the end. She had to! She shoved her phone back into her pocket without hanging up, her breath choked in her throat at the disbelief. No way there was _no way_ in any level of the underworld!

 _'There's no way! HE can't be here!"_

 ** _KING KONG KANG_**

She skidded to a stop right at the sound of the last bell for the end of class. She clutched her shaking hands to her heaving chest. She was sweating from just that twenty metre sprint, most of it from nerves and anxiety because right now she couldn't handle it. Hisako finally looked up and pressed her hand against the classroom window.

There he was.

Jade green eyes glowed from the front of the lecture theatre.

 _"Now! That's ya first taste of Genetically Modified Foods Elective 101. It ain't gonna be a walk in the park like Yukihira's class. Imma work ya till ya can look at ya ingredients and tell me every single genetic modification that's been done to it, and why, before ya even cook it. I have homework assignments for ya'll that can throw grenades into people's dream. Ya'll here to learn 'n' to keep up with the world. FOOD is changin'. The we GROW food is changin'. The way we PROCESS food is changin'. The way we EAT is changin'. The way ya'll COOK will be changin' too. Don't think the universe makes exceptions for ya_ "

Not a sound escaped the students from the back of the lecture hall, all the way to the front. They were as captivated as Hisako was. She stood there rooted to the ground crashing over and over in her little reality bubble. Her lips trembled as the cadence and strength in his country twang pulled at her heart strings. He was really here! Right here in this school! And she had no idea he was going to be. She didn't even have room to feel anger, she was only filled with happiness.

 _"Science is the key to unlockin' the future, not just for medicine, inventin' shit 'n' the economy. But also for the culinary art. I ain't sayin' ya'll have to make weird shit like Nakiri International. Ya only need to understand that the world ain't static 'n' how y'all are gonna continue to fit in it. We live in a culture of innovation 'n' scientific research now. Take advantage of that. Ya'll in my class are already one-step ahead of the bunch"_

Wait just a god damn minute… HIS CLASS?!

The lecture hall busted into excited murmurs. Excited faces glanced at each other as waves of determination and pumped up energy rippled through the mass of students.

 _"Remember. Challenge me!"_

The murmurs instantly ceased as his voice commanded their attention.

 _"I hate students who don't think for 'emselves or who blindly follow their teacher. Ask questions. There ain't ceilins' in this class. If ya done ya own readin' 'n' learnt somethin' new, don't keep it to ya-self. Share with the class. If ya think the research 'n' theory I bring up is out-dated 'n' wrong, call me out on it 'n' be prepared to back ya-self up. Bring up discussions on ethics of usin' GM food even! I don't give a fuck. It's all part of cookin' 'n' science. I might be an absolute genius in my field but I ain't perfect"_

The class chuckled at his dry and megolomaniac joke. Not perfect. He could say that again.

 _"I'm here because ya school ASKED me to teach ya 'n' said 'pretty please', even though I'm only a year older than the rest of ya. I've taken time outta my busy life for the lot of ya to impart my knowledge on bioengineering, botany, biology, chemistry, ya name it, so ya'll can have a higher level of understandin' of where the hell ya ingredients come from 'n' who made it, not just cook it because it's simply there"_

He paced the front of the lecture hall in front of the huge whiteboard with the power point presentation still displayed. Every eye on the room moved to and fro with him. His presence was absolutely hypnotic as he articulated every single word loudly and clearly so that it travels up the room.

 _"Lastly, It's_ _ **Hitsugaya-sensei**_ _to ya, alright? Class dismissed!"_

Hisako ignored the students rustling in their seats as they began packing up their things. She peeled herself away from the window with maximum effort and clamoured to the door. She pushed past the first few students who were exiting and stopped short of a few metres away from the boy who captured her heart with his calloused and herb-stained hands.

"D-Daisuke-kun…"

He turned around and that's when she reconciled with herself that he was really here. His bright jade green eyes shattered her and his tilted grin made her stomach churn and eat itself.

"How's it goin', _sweetheart_ "

"Wh-What are you doing here?"

Hisako approached him nervously, struggling with the desire to run her hands over his shoulders and keep her composure in check.

"I teach here now" he simply shrugged.

"You're… officially a teacher… teaching here… _What?_ _Why?_ "

He pursed his lips and shrugged again "The board of directors wanted to change the curriculum to include somethin' more science-based. Genetically modified foods is all the rage right now, so they thought learnin' 'bout it would benefit the students. 'Pparently _somebody_ put in a good word 'bout me 'n' I got a phone call from Director Doujima. It turned out, he did _not_ want to by a kilogram of dried star anise"

"When were you going to tell me?"

Hisako reached forward and grabbed his arm. Daisuke-kun tilted his head and stepped up to her. He took her hand on his arm and gently unfurled her fingers. He rested them in his hands. He reached up with his other and brushed her fringe from her face. His touch was soft and his gaze was only for her. She sighed and breathed out the breath she didn't know she was holding. He was totally unbelievable.

"I was hopin' it would be a surprise"

He pressed his lips against hers in a full kiss and she gasped at the sudden movement. She hadn't realised how much she missed his touch and her desire prevailed. She surrendered to her inhibitions and wrapped her arms around his body, pulling him as close as she could. She slowly pulled away, trying to gather her bearings but the beautiful scent of the Earth and chrysanthemum was too nostalgic and she didn't want it to go away. She finally managed to take him all in. His silky and spiky silver hair was exactly as she remembered. Soft and downy, sticking up towards the back as if he just rolled out of bed. He had a healthy tan about him, which was definitely a positive compared to his more pallid complexion when he was battling his own demons. His face… he had filled out. His once a upon a time baby cheeks were more defined and revealed higher cheekbones. His jaw was larger and stronger looking too. But his gorgeous jade eyes remained the same. He peered at her through lazy hooded eyes, the same gaze he wore when he wanted to screw with the world.

She realised that the hoodie he always wore was different! What the heck! Instead of a hooded sweater, he wore a hooded jacket that was tattered and stitched with so many badges, it was mind boggling. There was one particular stitched on piece of demin which said _'It's a beautiful day, now watch some bastard fuck it up'_. Inside was a V-neck shirt with a picture of a tiger at the front, it's ferocious maw opened wide and his angry red eyes piecing at her. He wore skinny black jeans which disappeared into his sneakers. There were also loops, upon loops, of thick silver chains latched onto one belt hoop to another. This was inappropriate attire!

She pulled back and gave him a dubious look. "This? _This_ is what you're wearing in front of the students?"

He looked down and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. "Ya don't like it? I think it brings out my eyes" he smirked at her.

She tutted at him and shook her head, earning a chuckle from his sinful mouth.

"C'mon, ya can show me a good place to grab a bite, sweetheart. Been here for week 'n' been stuck in meetins' with the teachin' staff the whole time"

"A _whole_ week without telling me... you jerk"

He slipped his hands over hers and tugged her with him, leaving his materials behind, which he didn't seem to care to pack up. Hisako followed him a bit still dazed and confused that this was really happening and one they were outside, Daisuke-kun fished out a key from his pocket and promptly locked the lecture room doors.

"Wait a minute. This doesn't make sense! You… You _hate_ elitism and anything to do with it! _Why_ did you agree to teach at Tootsuki? What about the kids back in your own town? What about Riza-san? What about _Ryuusenka Apothecary?"_ Hisako rounded on him.

His eyes widened before he looked sheepishly away. He frowned at her as if she was nagging him, but she didn't care. No matter how much she liked him, she was sick of him not giving her straight answers for serious issues. She stood before him with her hands on her hips. She had to know why!

"I thought 'bout what ya said to me when we hid ya friends in my shop… 'bout keepin' all my research locked up in my lab. Ya right all 'long. In some way I was bein' selfish 'n' conceited, thinkin' everybody else was too up 'emselves to give a high-school dropout like me a chance, 'n' that my research was too beyond them to understand in the first place. Which is still true by the way. I admit, I've got trust issues there. "

He leaned against the locked door. He casted his eyes off to the side, a mysterious sheen glistened his bright jade eyes in the afternoon sun.

"I thought… maybe it was time I pull my head outta my ass 'n' actually _try._ Make somethin' of myself, stop runnin' away 'n' show the world exactly what I'm made of. So, when the opportunity came in that phone call. I just thought… I'm not throwin' away my shot"

"D-Daisuke-kun…"

He sighed and lifted his head. He chucked her under the chin.

"Riza loves teachin' li'l kids 'n' had always wanted my apothecary shop to be more educational, so I let her go for it. _Ryuusenka Apothecary_ is now an agricultural learnin' centre for the school kids from all over the rural district. She's hirin' new staff. She has an eye for people so I ain't worried or anythin'. Of, course we still do business as a normal apothecary 'n' a herb 'n' spice supplier 'n' I still own it, but she runs it for me now. She's more than capable" he said.

Hisako was speechless. Again. She felt this swell in her chest which she couldn't identify. It suffocated her, but it felt so good. Learning that _Ryuusenka Apothecary_ was evolving alongside Daisuke-kun was almost too symbolic. Also hearing that dear Riza-san is back to pursuing teaching almost brought tears to her eyes.

"You've always hated the idea of teachers, you _hated_ them for what they did to you at school. Now you're one yourself. How ironic" she chuckled.

He rolled his eyes and gave her a wry smirk.

"I also saw it as an opportunity to be closer to ya"

Daisuke-kun reached forward and rested his hands on her hips. He gently tugged her forward until she was pressed against his chest. He slowly bowed her back, his fingers firm on her body. He pressed his forehead against hers and his jade green eyes burned through her. He only needed to nudge his head and he captured her lips once again. His admission of wanted to be closer to her told her there was something more to it than just that. Was he saying he wanted to make their relationship work? He wanted to properly _be_ with her, rather having that on and off again face-to-face contact whenever she could spare the time to see him at _Ryuusenka Apothecary?_ Their phone conversations were pretty good, but it could never beat that desire for actual human contact, especially not since their first night together (she had yet to tell Erina-sama about that). The distance only made her yearn for him more and she could tell in his voice whenever they called each other at night that he was feeling the same way. It was a slow dance and Hisako fell into it whole-heartedly. She tentatively slid her hands under his jacket, feeling the planes of his firm chest before sliding up his neck and into his soft hair. He tasted of warm sunshine and tea and it made her heart soar across the clouds. She slowly pulled away to catch her breath and Daisuke-kun's addictive lips followed her.

"W-What about… your… umm…" She didn't know how to phrase it.

He seemed to understand what she was trying to get at and he straightened himself up. He leaned back fully on the door again with a loud rattle. He kept his arms around Hisako and she leaned against him in the empty corridor.

"I'm clean. I've made appointments to see a therapist every two weeks" he simply said.

She looked up at him and he looked down at her again. She smiled and he mirrored hers. He leaned in and pecked her on the lips. Hisako just wanted to enjoy his warmth some more, but she had things to do and he probably did too. When she started to pull away, his arms only tightened. She looked up at him questioningly, and his eyes told her that he had something more to say, so she waited.

"I don't think I've ever said this to ya, but… **_Thank you_** "

Hisako's heart stuttered. He was right… she never heard him utter those words to her, but she was confused as to what.

"What did I do?"

 **"Ya make me wanna be a better person, _sweetheart_ "**

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Thank you, thank you, lemme say I thank you**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, korekara mo zutto**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, lemme say I thank you**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, yoroshiku ne / I thank you**_

 _ **Kisetsu ha megutteiku kedo**_  
 _ **Kawaranai mono ga kono te ni hitotsu**_  
 _ **"Well just you and you and you"**_  
 _ **Kimi no warau egao ga mitai kara**_  
 _ **Mata arukidaseru n da**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

" _Kami-sama,_ I'm going to miss you so much, Takumi-kun!"

Ayame could hardly contain herself. She prepared for the moment her boyfriend would return to Italy for his training with his father, but all her mental preparation could never prepare her for the actually physical parting. Here they were standing in the international terminal of Narita Airport. The Aldini brothers just a few metres way from the entry terminal to the other side of the airport, ready drag their luggage to go through customs and board their flight back to Florence, their home. She refused to let go of his neck. Tears threatened to shed right then and there and soak his shirt. Takumi-kun hugged her just as tightly. His soft breath coated her neck and she committed the ghostly feel to her memory. She sniffed. After graduation, he was supposed to go back and she told herself that a hundred times each night. That was the promise both the Aldini brothers had struck with their father. It was their dream to always run their family _trattoria_ together and they were about to make good on it.

Isami-kun stood silently to the side, watching them on with his own sad slowly parted from her. Ayame sniffed harder, too reluctant to do anything. She felt his lips brush against hers in a sweet kiss. She hung onto it as long as she could because who knows what would happen from here.

"Ayame, I will be back in five years. Please wait for me, _amore"_

"Five years is too long…" she muttered.

She knew she was being an absolute child about it, but she couldn't let him go just like that. Her heart was aching for him already. Tears really did leak from her eyes and she didn't want to ruin his shirt with her tear stains, and snot. Takumi swooped down and kissed her again, more passionately than before. He cradled her close his chest and rested his palm on her cheeks, brushing her salty tears away. His sky-blue eyes continued to melt her and steal her breath. Such love emanating from them filled her to the brim and it totally out-matched her love for engineering. Her course at Tokyo University was going to feel like a trillion years without Takumi-kun by her side. She wondered if he would feel the same way training in his _Trattoria_ without her. HE BETTER.

While she was absorbed in his beautiful eyes, the eyes she fell in love with all those years ago, she suddenly saw all the precious and most cherished moments leading up till now flash before her eyes. Each montage weighed heavier and heavier in her heart.

* * *

 _ **Their first encounter**_

 _"I-uh. You left this yesterday… at the café… I found it"_

 _"Aya! I thought I'd lost it forever. I called the café this morning and they said they hadn't seen it. Thank goodness you've found it! I was looking everywhere for it in my book bag, but then it wasn't there. You see, I've got this test coming up and— Sorry, I was rambling too much. I'm sure you didn't want to hear every sliver of my life-story"_

 _"That's okay. Just be careful next time"_

 _"Might I know the name of my saviour of physics exam?"_

 _"Takumi Aldini"_

* * *

 ** _Her first step into his world_**

 _"These are passes... passes to Tootsuki campus?"_

 _"Yeah. I asked for them, to give to you. I thought if you had free time, I could give you a tour around the campus. You wouldn't have ever seen anything like it"_

* * *

 _ **Their first crossing**_

 _"Well like, s-sweet, kind and caring. Someone who won't mind all my q-quirks and techno-babble too. I l-love learning new things, especially to do with ph-physics, mechanical things and robotics, so I hope he wouldn't be intimidated or… find it u-unfeminine. Love me for who I am, of course. Someone I could turn to for comfort when things get stressful or painful and vice versa. Oh and most definitely be able to handle Chizuru-chan and Otou-san"_

 _"I'm sure there's someone out there that fits the description perfectly. And even if they don't, I'm sure they will do their very best to try to"_

* * *

 _ **His first confession to her**_

 _"I like you, Ayame. I l-like you a lot. I-I've never felt this way with anyone else before. Your every action makes me feel hot and cold all the time, my heart beats so hard or not at all when I'm around you, I can barely stand it. Your smile steals my b-breath away, even from the first moment I met you. You're absolutely beautiful, you're smart, funny and I love listening to you talk… even about wormholes, robotica, you name it… Whenever I see you eat or even the times we cook together, It drives me mad for you and I feel like I want you to be only eating my dishes! I want to know heaps m-more about you. And s-so umm… Would you allow me the honour of courting you?"_

* * *

 _ **Her first doubt**_

 _"He was being all s-scary, intimidating and s-swearing a lot on our first date when you arrived, trying to frighten you away before we could even l-leave the house. And then when we came back from Ikebukuro, he was there again, trying to s-scare you away once more… I was just worried that you were starting t-to change your mind… when you mentioned the police being at Tootsuki"_

 _"Oh mio caro. There is nothing on this Earth that would ever stop my love for you. Your father is a man trying to be a good father. He's only been sizing me up and testing to see if I'm worthy enough for his only, beloved daughter. But I admit that I was very concerned that he would want to stop me seeing you, because of this case. But it looks like I can still come and go to your home for dinner as long as you will have me"_

* * *

 _ **Her first meltdown**_

 _"U-Umm. I'm s-sorry T-Takumi-kun... I-I just... Oh I d-don't know, I couldn't get in to the finals again... I didn't... I've worked so hard on it... and I couldn't surpass myself. This isn't the first time too... a-and you did so much f-for me, you cooked for me, made sure I was eating... you visited me and... we sacrificed time with each other so I could concentrate on it and you could focus on your own competition. I'm so s-sorry! I'm such a failure again! I c-couldn't even make your efforts worth it-"_

 _"Shhhhh… Ayame. You have nothing to apologise for. You do this for yourself, si? Don't worry about me, I only do those things because I want to"_

 _"B-But it all amounted to nothing! And I-I've been scared to tell you... to disappoint you... because you really believed in me. You went out of-of your way to take care of m-me and everything, and I stil—"_

 _"This isn't about me"_

 _"Then why do you look upset too?"_

 _"I... I'm upset because for the last four days... you kept it all in. You stopped replying to my texts and taking my calls. We weren't communicating anymore. I was worried sick that something had happened. Ayame, I want to be there to support you in everything you do. Whether you win or lose, succeed or fail, there is nothing in the world that could make me any less proud. I will always believe in you"_

* * *

 _ **Their first night**_

 _"I can't stand the thought of another guy wanting to be with you…"_

"I _o-only want you_. So you needn't worry about anyone else"

 _"You have no idea what you do to me, amore. More than words could describe… I will give all of myself to you… You know that right?"_

 _"As I will do the same for you"_

* * *

 _ **His first sacrifice**_

 _"The other day when we… you know… w-we didn't… I mean, I didn't… use protection. U-Umm. I just want you to know that you have my support in everything y-you need. I w-won't ever leave your s-side. I-I'll take care of you and e-everything! You can depend on me! I promise I won't ever leave you! Please don't hate me!"_

 _"I'm not pregnant—"_

 _"I'll talk to your father myself. I'll tell him that it's all my fault and none of the fault was yours. I'll convince him that I can protect and provide for you, even if I'm still in school!"_

 _"I'm not pregnant!—"_

 _"I'll take full responsibility. I'll open my own trattoria in Tokyo after I graduate to support you if I have to! I'll make sure I'll be the best father that I can for our—"_

 _"I'M NOT PREGNANT!"_

* * *

 _ **Their first blessing**_

 _"I'm sorry. What I meant to say is when a man becomes one with his woman, it really changes him. Sure, Fratello has been a bit more dazed these days. Daydreaming and stuff with a stupid smile on his face. But he's taken on this zeal for life even more than usual. He's cooking style is faster, more concentrated, less clumsy, he smiles more when he cooks and Dio mio, his flavours now are just astounding! He's a lot more confident when he cooks under pressure and when he talks with our friends too. Like, he doesn't trip over his words anymore which is amazing haha. He's also more calm and tolerant of things he'd usually bust a vein for… It's like another part of himself has opened up and it's thanks to you, Ayame-chan"_

 _"I-I see. Then I guess, I'm glad I could make Takumi-kun happy"_

 _"I can see you're just as happy too. You glow when you smile around him"_

* * *

 _ **Their first fight**_

 _"Stand-up and fight back! Or you don't believe you'll have what it takes to challenge Central? Is that why you're being ridiculously cautious?"_

 _"W-What?! I can take on Central and beat the lot of them. They're nothing but just sheep pretending to be wolves who are too afraid to be eaten. They have no actual skill whatsoever!"_

 _"Then you have nothing to fear, Takumi-kun! Continue to fight with your friends and you guys will surely prevail and return Tootsuki back into the marvelous school it was before"_

 _"Mamma mia! That's not the point! You don't get it… Nakiri Azami is a maniaco, but he's not stupid. He won't hesitate to expel anybody he sees as a threat, regardless if they make a move or not. I'm not taking that risk! I'm doing this for us!"_

 _"But that's not what I want!"_

* * *

 ** _Their first forgiveness_**

 _"I'm so sorry amore"_

 _"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I should've respected your decision"_

 _"Don't apologise, I should've talked to you about this. I didn't mean to upset you. Will you forgive me?"_

 _"I'm sorry I-I yelled at y-you too…"_

 _"You can yell at me anytime, mi amore"_

 _"I'll— umm… I'll stand up against Azami and his reign. I won't let him break Tootsuki's spirit. Not in my last days with my friends at least. I'll continue to be the best chef I can be"_

 _"And I'll back you up all the way. Nothing will change that…"_

* * *

 _ **Their final blessing**_

 _"Everyone says: grow up, get a fucking job, get married, get a fucking house, have a kid and that's it. But the truth is, life is a lot more stranger and more fucking insane than that. Definitely fucking better than what 'everyone says'. Do what makes you happy and commit to it..._ _If CIA boy is good to you, treats you right, supports you, first and for most makes you happy, then I don't have a fucking problem with him. You do the same for him. You give and you take"_

 _"He does... he makes me so happy. I can't imagine being with anyone else. When I'm with him, everything feels right. I just love him so m-much"_

* * *

She once again wondered what had she ever done in her life to deserve this beautiful and kind boy. They had been so much together. Italian food adventures, laughs, and arguments. Lots of kissing. LOTS of kissing. She wouldn't have had such a wonderful time with anybody else but him. He was nothing but her strength as she went through each gruelling test for her third year's final exams, up until her university entrance exam. She'd like to think she was just as supportive when it came to his competitions, _shokugekis_ and his final year cooking examinations. They've made it through high school with each other behind their backs. Partners, all the way. With that came the changes. Beautiful changes. Takumi-kun had matured greatly over the two years, taking on all his peers without fear and with all the fun he had in him in his competitions and studying. His skill and talent reached beyond the stars and Ayame had the privilege with be a part of his journey to becoming a stellar Italian chef. He had really taken on his _kendou_ lessons from _Otou-san_ too. The discipline beated into him by _Otou-san_ began to translate into his cooking as well. He was tireless in working hard and striving to be better and she had found herself wanting to do the same. The _kendou_ lessons changed his physique as well. His in his arms, legs, shoulders, stomach and back were incredibly firm and tones. His physical strength and endurance in his cooking were amazing and brought him to even greater heights. It made their love-making all the more intense as well… while she was still on that train of thought.

"I know, Ayame. But I will definitely come back, you'll see!"

"What if you don't… what if you decide to stay in Italy?"

She looked up at him through her tears. Her irrational pounded at her from all sides. She thought of the what-ifs every single moment. Takumi had a soft smile on his face, his eyes were slightly tinged red as well from swelling tears. Suddenly he let her go and nodded behind her. His eyes became hardened ice, the same look he had whenever he went into a _shokugeki._ She knew her father was standing behind her some distance behind as he was the one who drove her, Takumi-kun and Isami-kun to the airport. Takumi-kun's jaw was set as stared at her _Otou-san_. Ayame was a bit confused. She turned around in time to see _Otou-san_ go 'Tch' before stalking off. What was odd.

"A-Ayame…"

His voice was croaky as if it was about to break. It worried her greatly and fear stabbed her in the stomach. What was wrong? Why was he saying her name like that? What was going to happen?

"As much as you think this is goodbye, it's not. I love you, _mio caro_. You mean too much to me to ever leave behind. I made a promise, didn't I? That I would take care of you and dedicate my life to making you the happiest girl in the world. Even when we are not physical together, you are in _here"_

He lifted her hand and placed it against his heart

 _Ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump…_

"Just as I am in _here"_

Takumi tapped his finger on her chest. He then cupped her face. His thumb continued to caress the tear tracks that stained her cheeks. Ayame sighed and gingerly placed her hands over his larger ones. Her heart couldn't take it and almost snapped from the sheer volume of affection lining his words. The logical side of her mind told her to get over it, five years would end and he would be back because Takumi Aldini is loyal and never went back on his word, and she shouldn't fret over anything. The emotional side of her was blubbering in the foetal position in the corner, wailing and crying that she didn't Takumi-kun to leave.

"I love you too" whispered Ayame. "But what if… what if…" her voice trembled.

"Shhhh" he pressed his lips to her forehead. "You're not going to focus on your studies at all if you keep worrying about me! To ensure that you will never doubt me, there is only one thing I have to do"

"H-Huh?" she bunched up her sleeves to wipe her nose.

 **"Kanda Ayame…"** Takumi released her face and stood back.

.

.

He dropped to one knee.

.

.

 _'WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAAAAAT?!'_

He took her hands again, which shook uncontrollably. He held them steady but her knees were about to give way. Her brain ran a million miles per nanosecond until it completely crashed and thrown at the mercy of this torturous confusion from the visage playing out for her. Takumi-kun reached into his pants pocket and took something out, she couldn't see it and he held it tightly. She could see a steely resolve in his eyes and her heart was just hammering like no tomorrow until she could only hear her blood pounding in her ears...

He tilted his head up, his face impassive and tinged with flushed roses on his cheeks, and sweat glistened on his forehead. He swallowed hard as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. But his eyes… their endless depths spoke to her soul.

 **"Will you marry me?"**

The world stopped spinning and only one moment existed. She watched his lips formed the shapes of those beautiful sounds, but her eyes and her ears refused to believe it. Takumi-kun's words didn't just deafen Ayame, it shuddered right through her as if trying to rip out her joints. She was blinded. The moment was so blinding that even closing her eyes made no difference. Tears were streaming down her face and she could do nothing to stop it. Her knees buckled and she stumbled into Takumi-kun and enveloped him into a crushing hug. Words were useless and she was just bursting with joy and all she could do was cry, and cry, and cry some more. He caught her in time and nothing came out of her mouth except squealing! Something grasped her hand and something slim and cold slipped onto her finger. Ayame found the energy and willingness to lift her hand to her swollen eyes nervous, and shaking all over, to see the evidence for the dream-like reality that was her _engagement_ to Takumi Aldini.

 _The_ ring.

 _Her_ ring.

Oh _Kami-sama…_

 _It was made from the thank-you keyring she gave him the first time they met._

"Oh T-Takumi-kun…" she blubbered.

She grabbed him again and buried her nose into his neck, wailing her joy. His arms wrapped around her tightly and he too crushed his face against her neck. He pulled back suddenly and kissed her earnestly and with everything he had. Ayame wasted no time and jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist, without breaking their kiss. Takumi stumbled slightly, but he caught her from under her thighs and held her against him tightly.

 _"Welcome to the family, sorella!"_ cheered Isami-kun.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! YES! I'll marry you! Of c-course I'll m-marry you! I love you so much…" Ayame screamed through her tears at the top of her lungs.

She grabbed her _fiance's_ beaming face and kissed him again to convey all the emotions that ricocheted in her heart. In return she siphoned all the burning passion and love he had to give her through their intense kiss. He was committing to her! And she was more than ready to commit to him! Finally, he settled her back onto her feet and they both panted, their cheeks flushed from all the excitement, anxiety, nerves and over-abundance of joy.

 ** _"Thank you, my love… Thank you for being in my life"_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 _ **Again and again / Thank you**_  
 _ **Boku wo mitsuketekureta kimi ni / I say**_  
 _ **"Deaete yokatta" tte ne**_  
 _ **Uta ni shita naraba ieru / Thank you**_  
 _ **Itoshiki hibi no mainichi ga kimi to waratte bakari datta**_  
 _ **I say thank you**_

 _ **Thank you, thank you, lemme say I thank you**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, korekara mo zutto**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, lemme say I thank you**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, yoroshiku ne / I thank you**_

 _ **Thank you, thank you, lemme say I thank you**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, korekara mo zutto**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, lemme say I thank you**_  
 _ **Thank you, thank you, yoroshiku ne / I thank you**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

* * *

 **On behalf of the major and minor Shokugeki no Souma Characters:  
** Takumi Aldini  
Isami Aldini  
Yukihira Souma  
Isshiki Satoshi  
Nakiri Erina  
Alice Nakiri  
Hayama Akira  
Kurokiba Ryou  
Tadokoro Megumi  
The rest of Polar Star Dorm  
Arato Hisako  
Terunori Kuga  
Eizan Etsuya  
Nakiri Senzaemon  
Doujima Gin  
Shiomi Jun  
Kobayashi Rindou  
and finally Nakiri Azami,

 **I say THANK YOU.**

 **On behalf of the major and minor OCs:  
** Kanda Ayame  
Namikaze Chizuru  
Kuchiyose Byakko  
Hitsugaya Daisuke  
Riza Heiderich  
Grandpa Zuttosuke  
Hirako Sekito  
Bookstore owner Kojima-san  
First year Nguyen-san  
and Koko-chan.

 **I say THANK YOU**

 **On behalf of the major and minor guest stars, and special mentions from:  
** _D Gray-man_ \- Kanda Yuu as Superintendent General Kanda of TMPD  & Ayame's father, Lavi Bookman as Chief Inspector Shouseki, Lenalee Lee Special Detective Rii, Appearance of Allen Walker as Detective Inspector Horousha.  
 _DRRR!_ \- Orihara Izaya as himself  
 _Naruto_ \- Uzumaki Naruto as CEO of TopRamen Limited, Uchiha Sasuke as CEO of Igakono Senbei and Haruno Sakura as Dr. Haruno and tenure professor of Toudai  
 _Bleach_ \- Karakura Town, Karakura High school, Karakura Honchou and Kurosaki Ichigo as Dr. Kurosaki.  
 _and Bloody Monday_ \- _Falcoln_ as Chizuru's hacker buddy.

 **I say THANK YOU**

 **From me, I want to thank you to each and every one of you for reading this story and being a part of this journey. Writing this story has been a great experience and I've learnt so many new things about not just the cooking world, but also myself as a writer. The experience has been invaluable. I can't tell you how much all of your support means to me and I hope to see you guys again for future fanfiction projects! Up next is an author's note detailing my plans for those future fanfiction projects and ONE LAST TREAT FOR YOU GUYS! I HOPE YOU WILL LIKE IT XD**

 **Signing-off**

 **TripWire-dono**


	49. Final Author's Note

**Hello everyone!**

 **Well here's the obligatory author's note. It's an absolute pleasure and a whirlwind of an adventure. I spent some time to read over every single review I've received in the past 2 years and I'm so happy and proud to say that I've gained over 250 reviews and over 200 followers and 200 favourites! I'd never imagine I'd received this much love from you guys. I've had my reservations for writing a long Takumi/OC story considering that Takumi isn't a very popular character, and there are very few Takumi fanfics in this fandom. OC fanfics are not particularly popular to read either considering they're OC… so enough said. But so far 278/280 reviews were all positive so I guess that means I've gained a 99.3% approval rating!**

 **I felt this story was my best gamble in the fanfiction world because I didn't know well the Takumi/OC would be received, and I'm so pleased with how the story played out until the end! I can give myself a pat on the back for doing the best I could for a non-Souma/Erina fanfic**

 **When I started this A Touch of Saffron, I wanted it to be a simple high school romance, but then through the planning stages, I didn't find that satisfying enough. I wanted more meat in the story later. I wanted to be more ambitious and voila! My romance story turned in a murder mystery! I did a year of crime-fiction writing back in high school for my three-unit English module and I guess my subconscious didn't want all that hard work in crime fiction writing to go to waste haha! Therefore, I'm also glad and relieved that you guys enjoyed how I constructed the murder case the students had solve in the second half of the story! The biggest worry was keeping Takumi's and Ayame's romance alive during this, but I think their romance was settled about this time so I was confident they would stay strong without my help really haha.**

 **I'm also very happy you guys enjoyed the sub-plots regarding Alice and Kuchiyose, and Chizuru and Kuga! I know there were ships for Kuga/Chizu or Akira/Chizu from a few readers, it was a lot of fun to write their interactions! I honestly didn't know myself who she would end up with until the very end I realised that Hayama was too busy with Azami and then working at _Zesar_ , getting his post-school life sorted to fit romance into his plans. Meanwhile, Kuga was way ahead of him in getting his foot through the door by hanging out with Chizuru regularly. So, it made sense based on interaction that Chizuru would fall for Kuga, and her latent feelings for Hayama subsided over time.**

 **Just so you guys know, Daisuke from Medica Materia is now officially in the polls on my profile page because he's made his proper appearance in the epilogue XD I had a blast writing the accompanying story and I hope it wasn't too hard to follow! I was so excited to fit him into the cast who would get happy endings in the epilogue because he's been through the emotional wringer in Medica Materia with Hisako and Erina. When looking in hindsight, Daisuke was the main driver of The Rebel Alliance trying to prove Azami murdered Erina's mum as part of his elaborate plan to takeover Tootsuki… without him _being_ in  A Touch of Saffron at all until he shows his ass at the end, when after all the hard work is done! Lazy genius…**

 **Like I said before, I've got a few side stories and brand new stories planned for the Food Wars! Fandom :D I've only made rough plans and the summaries for now. Here they are!**

* * *

 **Breaking Locks**

 **Alice/OC**

 **Rated M**

Prequel to A Touch of Saffron. His soul was like the tiger. He was a solitary creature. His voice was a deep and silent rumble which started deep within his body. His eyes were polished hazel gemstones burned with a fierce passion and fearlessness that left her wanting. Alice had never been enthralled by anyone but Kuchiyose Byakko. But when he called her "stupid" in their first encounter, it was only natural that she prove him wrong.

* * *

 **Hortus Herbicus**

 **(Hisako/OC)**

 **Rated M**

Sequel to Medica Materia. Talent hits a target no one else can reach. Genius hits a target no one else can see. It's a race against time as Daisuke, Hisako and Riza do everything they can to make everyone else see the deadly plant-based disease which threatens to decimate over half of Japan's agricultural produce before it's too late.

* * *

 **Monochrome**

 **(Kuga/OC)**

 **Rated M**

Side story to A Touch of Saffron. If one asked Namikaze Chizuru how she became Terunori Kuga's girlfriend, she would say she had no idea. He just rocked up in her life and grew on her like a colony of E coli on room-temperature raw beef. If one asked Terunori Kuga the same question, he would say he charmed and stunned her with his magnificent cooking prowess until she fell inevitably and helplessly in love with him.

* * *

 **The Guild**

 **(Erina/OC)**

 **Rated M**

"Since when are students allowed to listen to music during Shokugekis?!" screeched Erina, pointing at the chef down below wearing wireless headphones. He was bopping his head to a beat as he walked onto the stadium. "Since now! That's Kinomoto Shuuhei, president of the Gamers' RS, otherwise known as 'The Guild'. His specialty is creating videogame music inspired dishes!" chirped Alice. Erina thought craziness stopped at Yukihira. Apparently not!

* * *

 **Sadistic Palate (x-over DRRR!)**

 **(Rindou/Izaya)**

 **Rated M**

Prequel to A Touch of Saffron. Kobayashi Rindou's stagiare as a first year in Ikebukuro was a time she wished she could erase from her past. All because of an obsessive information broker, her life was constantly on the edge of a blade, waiting for him to push her off and catch her, only for him to do it again and again until all she could see and feel was him.

* * *

 **Please let me know which story you would like to read first, and I will plan it thoroughly!**

 **In the previous chapter, I said I would have a special treat for you! My friend and I came up with an idea. I had been receiving various questions about the characters throughout the two years and I've answered them promptly... But… What would have it been like if the characters themselves answered the question instead of me? So here is my gift to you, I will post a Q &A drabble as a separate story about A Touch of Saffron for anyone who has any burning questions they want answered about specific characters (e.g. what's their favourite this or that, what their opinions are on things throughout the story, if you want to know more about their personality, characteristics and so forth). I will write drabbles where the characters answer your questions in a way you would least expect, within the normal story-telling format! :D That way it doesn't actually break any of the site's rules. We can give that a try!**

 **Okay, so we have the summaries for future stories there, also an experimental Q &A Drabble for A Touch of Saffron Please let me know which Food wars! Story you would like to see next, and if there are any questions you have the characters!**

 **Signing off for the last time**

 **-TripWire-dono**


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